Margie L. Davis

Margie Lou (nee Rea) Davis, 82, of Menasha, WI, passed away peacefully at home on September 21, 2024, after battling esophageal and stomach cancer for 4 years.

She was born in Meadville, PA on June 21, 1942, to Olive (nee Agnew) and Kenneth Rea. Margie graduated from Parma Senior High School, Parma, OH and St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing, Shaker Heights, OH. She married the love of her life, Tom Davis, in Miami, FL in 1972. They raised their three children in Manitowoc, WI and resided there for 45 years until moving to Menasha in 2022 to be closer to family.

Margie was a registered nurse who began her career in 1963 as an ER nurse in Parma, OH and then in Coral Gables, FL. She took time off from work to raise their young children before returning to work as an office nurse in OB GYN. She worked for Planned Parenthood in Manitowoc, WI and for Aurora Obstetrics & Gynecology in Two Rivers, WI where she completed her 44-year career when retiring in 2007. Margie was a trailblazer in women’s healthcare and was held in high esteem by her colleagues. She was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church where she met many life-long friends. Margie was a nurturer and her husband Tom’s primary caretaker over his 22 years living with Parkinson’s Disease. Margie’s hobbies included her love of reading, boating, walking by the lakeshore and travel. She loved popcorn for any meal, her regular Starbucks hot chocolates, and never missing a chance to stop at Cedarcrest “The cow” for ice cream and getting her “licker license” punched. Margie’s extended family of cousins and their annual July trips to family reunions in Harmonsburg, PA were one of her favorite things to do and something she always looked forward to. She instilled a strong sense of family and the importance of keeping those bonds alive in future generations. 

Margie was most proud of her children and grandchildren. She loved hearing about their everyday happenings and always attended or supported their sports games, school activities and hobbies. Like Tom, she enjoyed family vacations and regular visits while wintering in Florida for several years. Margie wore multiple hats over the years for her family, often simultaneously. Margie and Tom were grateful to share 52 years together.

Margie is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth Williamson and her husband Shane and children Ryan and Kelsey (Winneconne, WI), her son George Davis and his wife Shanna and son Warren (Menasha, WI), and her son Bill Davis and his wife Melanie (Nashville, TN). She is further survived by her sister and brother in-law, Carolyn and John Dyck (Parma, OH) and her brother and sister-in-law, Tom and Joyce Rea (Fenton, MO), nieces and nephews and their families, Sharon Beach (Akron, OH), Sean Dyck (Columbus, OH), Olivia Rea Palmore(Kirkwood, MO) and Bryan Rea (Zurich, Switzerland). Margie was preceded in death by her husband, Tom, her parents, Kenny and Olive Rea, and her brother-in-law John Davis.

Margie’s love for her family was always front and center. She was unselfish, patient and carried herself with poise. Margie and Tom had many friends and family, and she is already missed.

Visitation for Margie will be held Saturday, September 28, 2024, at 9am, followed by a Memorial Service and interment at 10:00am at Calvary Cemetery Mausoleum, 686 Fond du Lac Ave, Fond du Lac, WI 54935.

Memorial donations may be made in Margie’s name to Make a Wish Foundation or the American Cancer Society.