Edith Ann Howard Henry

EDITH ANN HOWARD HENRY was born December 11, 1927 in Baltimore City, the seventh of ten children born to William and Laura Wortham Howard. She lived her early life on Lorman Street, attending Baltimore City Public Schools, including Booker T. Washington Junior High School and graduating , from Frederick Douglass High School in 1945. She attended Morgan State College, graduating in June of 1949 and was crowned Miss Morgan that same year. In December 1949, she married United States Army Captain Walter Thomas Davidson, a dentist, in Mexico, and spent the next two years stationed in Austria. Upon their return to .the states in 1951, Dr. Davidson established a dental practice in Baltimore City. They were blessed with one daughter, Patricia Ann, born in 1952. Edith began a long and illustrious career in education, teaching English, French and Spanish at both the Junior High School and High School level. Dr. Davidson died suddenly in 1965, leaving a young mother to raise her growing daughter alone. In 1966, Edith and Patricia ("Pat") left Baltimore and moved to Chicago to advance her career. In 1967 Edith received a Master of Education degree from Northeastern Illinois State College. She was a Fulbright Fellow. Over the course of her lifetime, Edith would continue her educational endeavors at New York University (Education), University of Strasbourg (French) and Saint Louis University at Merida, Yucatan Mexico (Human Relations). During her extensive teaching career she had an impact on hundreds of students, many of which achieved great success across many professions. After graduating from Northeastern Illinois State College, Edith and Pat returned to Baltimore to the family home on Hilton Road in Ashburton where she continued her teaching career. In 1968 she married Dr. Irving J. Henry, a dentist. They enjoyed a very active lifestyle and spent summers on their cabin cruiser, "The Henry's II." Edith was always socially engaged and was active in many clubs and groups, as diverse as college alumni associations, teachers' groups, the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., For-Winn-Ash Garden Club (affiliated with the Federated Garden Club of Maryland), bridge, boating, The League of Women's Voters, and especially, her church - Trinity Presbyterian, where she served as an elder and in various capacities within the church and the Presbytery. Edith was a consummate entertainer and enjoyed gourmet cooking and serving elegant dinners to family and friends. She maintained a welcoming home which was designed for entertaining. The more the merrier. Every event, whether a simple dinner for her daughter and her family, or Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for 40 or more guests; she was a gracious and gregarious hostess. She considered any and every gathering "an affair." Though her marriage ended in 1983, that same year, Edith retired from teaching and began a new life. She relished in her new role as the grandmother of three grandchildren and welcomed the time that allowed her to focus on her grandchildren, cooking and gardening and travel. Throughout her life, Edith had the opportunity to travel throughout Europe, Central America, and Africa. She also traveled to Mexico, Cuba and throughout the United States, including Hawaii. Edith is survived by her daughter, Patricia Davidson Welch, Esq., grandchildren, Laura Ann Welch, Martin P. Welch, [r., Sarah Ann Welch and son-in-law, the Honorable Martin P. Welch, one sister Lucy Howard Sylvester, one brother-in-law, ten nieces and nephews and a host of family and friends. She was preceded in death by five brothers and three sisters.

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Edith Ann Howard Henry

January 11, 1927 - June 13, 2015