Obituary of Martha Helen Brown Davis

Martha Helen Brown Davis has peacefully returned home. Yet her beautiful smile, her infectious laughter, and her passion for life will always stay with us. Though Martha and her devoted husband, Hurvie Davis, spent nearly all of their 28 years of marriage together in Tucson, AZ, Martha was born in El Paso, Texas. She was the eldest daughter of Thomas and Julia Brown. Throughout her life she continued to lovingly care for her brother, Lorenzo, and her younger brothers and sisters, Nancy Porras, Dolores, Tom and Fred Brown (deceased). She considered their children her own and loved her nieces and nephews deeply. Martha raised her four children in San Diego and is beloved by each: Yvonne Whitt Schultz (husband, John), Linda Whitt, Rick Parker (wife, Maren) and Rebecca Cressman (husband, Dale). She is also survived by her three stepchildren, Brian, Steve (wife, Jackie) and Greg Davis (wife, Wendy) whose own children added to Martha's greatest treasures, her grandchildren, Laura, Vanessa, Aaron, Julia, Brad, Nick, Laurin, Taylor, Madison, McKenna, Olivia, Troy, Parker, Mikel, Jonathon, Michael, Melissa, Megan and great-grandson, Isaiah. Martha worked for many years at San Diego State University's Foundation and later retired from University of Arizona's Sponsored Projects. Martha developed life-long friends through work and service in art councils, choral groups, the LDS church, and in the Tucson/Marana communities. Her friendships were cherished and became a part of her ever-widening "family." Martha passed away from breast cancer but the disease did not take away her life. During the eight years she fought the disease, she loved music, dancing, and reading. She also threw parties, nurtured her loved ones, reconnected with lost family through genealogy, traveled across country and the world, and never gave up finding joy in one more day of life. A special thank you to Dr. Jeffrey Selwyn, Dr. Raymond Taetle, Dr. Michael Manning, Mary Lynn Miners, and staff for their years of dedication and compassionate care. To honor Martha's love of life, in lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Animals' Crusaders of Arizona, www.ACofAZ.com, or to TMC Hospice Foundation at 5301 E. Grant Rd., Tucson, AZ, 85712. A visitation will be held for family and friends at DESERT SUNSET FUNERAL HOME at 3081 West Orange Grove Rd. Thursday, October 30, 2008, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Funeral Services and a reception to celebrate Martha's life will be held on Friday, October 31, at 12:00 p.m., at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Tucson North Stake Center at 939 West Chapala Dr., Tucson, AZ. Internment will follow at Binghampton Cemetery (Alvernon and River Roads) will take place after the services.