Life of Linda Davis, 'Mother Ledyard,' celebrated
Apr. 3—LEDYARD — Linda C. Davis embraced the town of Ledyard and wrapped her arms around it "like a warm hug," Ledyard Mayor Fred Allyn III said.
Davis, called "Mother Ledyard," served the town for four decades, including on the Parks and Recreation Committee, Board of Education and Town Council.
She was passionate about politics, the town, the community forum she created, real estate and the food pantry, which is now named the Linda C. Davis Food Pantry, Allyn said. He said she was an "amazing sounding board for everybody," from residents to co-workers to elected officials.
More than 100 people gathered Saturday afternoon in the Ledyard High School auditorium to remember and celebrate Davis's life. She was elected to a ninth term on the Town Council in the November 2021 election, but resigned due to health issues. She died in December at age 71 after a battle with cancer.
During the Celebration of Life ceremony, people sang "God Bless America," led by Carol Christiansen with Melanie Cometa, and many wore red, Davis' favorite color. Red bows adorned aisle seats in the auditorium, and one by one speakers came up to the lectern, draped in red, to speak in honor of Davis alongside photos of her on the stage.
Close friends Kerry Tetreault and Merry Cassabria wore Pittsburgh Steelers T-shirts — Davis' favorite team — with the number 4 and "Davis" on the back. Davis' birthday is April 4.
Her sister, Diane Delmer, recalled growing up with Davis in Pittsburgh, where they walked hand-in-hand together to Catholic school, brought home large shopping bags full of candy after trick-or-treating on Halloween, enjoyed the Feast of the Seven Fishes at their grandmother's house on Christmas Eve, went to midnight Mass and opened Christmas gifts in the morning.
Close friend Jami Allyn said "everybody knew Linda" and explained that there are two kinds of people that knew her: those that had never met her but knew her because she was such an instrumental part of the community, and those who really knew her well.
Norm Krayem, who has been a Realtor in Ledyard for 49 years and knew and worked with Davis on numerous occasions, spoke about her involvement in the town, as well as her real estate career. He said she immersed herself in the digital age, and by creating her blog "Simply Ledyard," she "as usual, was ahead of the game."
Les Sulgrove, a friend and Realtor, said Davis was one of the founding members in 1995 of a group called the CyberProfessionals, which, according to her obituary, was formed to "share marketing and technology ideas." He said Davis was known and respected by hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals across the United States.
He shared that Davis' quick wit, smart mind, kindness, inclusivity and "no-nonsense attitude" were among the favorite memories that Realtors across the country have of her.
Andra Ingalls, a town councilor, said that, like so many at the ceremony, she regarded Davis as both a friend and mentor. "When you met Linda, it took about 60 seconds to be charmed by her confidence and her personable demeanor," she said. "She drew people in. She loved serving our town and wanted you and me to serve alongside her. It was one of her best traits in my estimation. Her fingerprints are all over so many things that are great about our little town, and her influence inspires us."
Susie Mendenhall, who spoke on behalf of John Rodolico — they both served on the Town Council and as mayor — said Davis was a good friend and valued adviser to both of them. They accomplished a lot of things in their years as elected officials that could not have been achieved without Davis' advice and support. Mendenhall said Davis was "always there when you needed her."
Mendenhall said Davis insisted on accountability of town government, and her initiatives created the food locker, which now bears her name. She rose to chair both the Board of Education and the Town Council.
"She was really dedicated to this town," Mendenhall said.
Town Councilor Bill Saums gave a humor-filled presentation, with photos and posts from Facebook, in honor of Davis, who appreciated wit.
During the event, donations were presented to the Gales Ferry Fire Company and Linda C. Davis Food Pantry on behalf of Linda Davis and her husband, Earl.
It also was announced that a Christmas tree will be planted in Davis' honor.
Davis is survived by her husband, Earl; son, Jeffrey Davis; and sister, Delmer, according to her obituary.
At the ceremony, there were food trucks outside, with a portion of proceeds to benefit the food pantry, according to the event description. People also brought donations for the pantry.
Cassabria told The Day that Davis touched the lives of so many people.
"She was one in a million," Cassabria said. "She had a heart of gold, and she was the go-to person in Ledyard."
