Mavis Evelyn Davenport
November 1, 1921 — March 29, 2010
Mavis Farrington Davenport, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, friend and longtime resident of Whittier, passed away on March 29, 2010 in her home of 53 years after complications that resulted from a fall.
She was born November 1, 1921 in Randlett, Oklahoma to Virgil Farrington and Bessie Corn. She was raised by her mother and grandmother in Oklahoma and later they moved to Wichita Falls, Texas. She graduated from Wichita Fall Senior High School in 1939. She then attended a local business college and was later employed in a real estate office in Wichita Falls where she met her surviving husband, Robert Cantrell. She joined the WAVES after the start of WWII and moved to San Francisco, where she left her heart and many lifelong friends.
Following the end of WWII, she attended USC on a G.I. Bill, later graduating as a dental Hygienist. It was there that she met her first husband, Richard P. Adams, the father of two of her daughters. After they married, they moved to Whittier where she went to work at Dr. Ed Mc Cleans office in 1950. She worked part-time for many dentists in the area and retired in 1988. After her divorce from Richard in 1975, Mavis married Fred Davenport in 1981 and enjoyed three wonderful years before Fred passed away.
While at USC she studied under Adele Davis (a pioneering nutritionist). Mavis adopted many of her teachings which led to a lifelong interest in healthy nutritional practices. She was also interested in alternative medicine, especially homeopathy, and encouraged others to use it as well. Mavis believed that vitamin supplements were an important part of staying healthy long before it was popular.
She had a deep faith in God and was extremely spiritual. She was God in the beauty of all living things including everyone she came in contact with. Mavis had belonged to the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) since 1952 where many deep friendships were formed. There she served in many capacities including teaching Sunday school, singing in the choir and helping to organize an extensive redecoration of the Sanctuary. For the last five years, Mavis attended the Delhaven Christian Church in La Puente.
Mavis loved music, musicals, concerts and singing. She joined the USC choir while in college and also sang in the First Christian Church Motet choir for many years. On long trips in the car, there was always music and singing. She enjoyed spending time in the garden and gardening, including doing her own organic composting. At her beautiful canyon home, Mavis loved taking her kids to one of her favorite beaches, Laguna Beach, when they were younger, to share picnics and
her love of the ocean and the tide pools there.
Her loving kindness, cheerful countenance and her affectionate compassion will be missed by everyone who has known her. Her life was an example of the positive good that can accrue from the practice of considerate caring. Our world was a better place when she inhabited it with her grace. All who knew her will find her dancing through our thoughts until she greets us yet again, with her warm smile in the Great Beyond.
Mavis is survived by her loving husband of fifteen years, Robert Cantrell, her two daughters, Lisa Ford of Santa Cruz, California and Julie Zivnak of Pomona, California, her son, Rick Larson of Lake Elsinor, California, and her two grad-daughters, Ana and Laura Zivnak.
A memorial service celebrating her life will be held at the First Christian Church in Whittier on Saturday morning, April 17, 2010 at 11:00 am. A reception will follow the service at the church.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Smile Train ( www.smiletrain.org ) or the Whittier Area First Day Coalition ( www.whittierfirstday.org ).
Codolences may be e-mailed tot he family through our Guest Book.
She was born November 1, 1921 in Randlett, Oklahoma to Virgil Farrington and Bessie Corn. She was raised by her mother and grandmother in Oklahoma and later they moved to Wichita Falls, Texas. She graduated from Wichita Fall Senior High School in 1939. She then attended a local business college and was later employed in a real estate office in Wichita Falls where she met her surviving husband, Robert Cantrell. She joined the WAVES after the start of WWII and moved to San Francisco, where she left her heart and many lifelong friends.
Following the end of WWII, she attended USC on a G.I. Bill, later graduating as a dental Hygienist. It was there that she met her first husband, Richard P. Adams, the father of two of her daughters. After they married, they moved to Whittier where she went to work at Dr. Ed Mc Cleans office in 1950. She worked part-time for many dentists in the area and retired in 1988. After her divorce from Richard in 1975, Mavis married Fred Davenport in 1981 and enjoyed three wonderful years before Fred passed away.
While at USC she studied under Adele Davis (a pioneering nutritionist). Mavis adopted many of her teachings which led to a lifelong interest in healthy nutritional practices. She was also interested in alternative medicine, especially homeopathy, and encouraged others to use it as well. Mavis believed that vitamin supplements were an important part of staying healthy long before it was popular.
She had a deep faith in God and was extremely spiritual. She was God in the beauty of all living things including everyone she came in contact with. Mavis had belonged to the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) since 1952 where many deep friendships were formed. There she served in many capacities including teaching Sunday school, singing in the choir and helping to organize an extensive redecoration of the Sanctuary. For the last five years, Mavis attended the Delhaven Christian Church in La Puente.
Mavis loved music, musicals, concerts and singing. She joined the USC choir while in college and also sang in the First Christian Church Motet choir for many years. On long trips in the car, there was always music and singing. She enjoyed spending time in the garden and gardening, including doing her own organic composting. At her beautiful canyon home, Mavis loved taking her kids to one of her favorite beaches, Laguna Beach, when they were younger, to share picnics and
her love of the ocean and the tide pools there.
Her loving kindness, cheerful countenance and her affectionate compassion will be missed by everyone who has known her. Her life was an example of the positive good that can accrue from the practice of considerate caring. Our world was a better place when she inhabited it with her grace. All who knew her will find her dancing through our thoughts until she greets us yet again, with her warm smile in the Great Beyond.
Mavis is survived by her loving husband of fifteen years, Robert Cantrell, her two daughters, Lisa Ford of Santa Cruz, California and Julie Zivnak of Pomona, California, her son, Rick Larson of Lake Elsinor, California, and her two grad-daughters, Ana and Laura Zivnak.
A memorial service celebrating her life will be held at the First Christian Church in Whittier on Saturday morning, April 17, 2010 at 11:00 am. A reception will follow the service at the church.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Smile Train ( www.smiletrain.org ) or the Whittier Area First Day Coalition ( www.whittierfirstday.org ).
Codolences may be e-mailed tot he family through our Guest Book.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Mavis Evelyn Davenport, please visit our flower store.