LACONIA ---- Gerald “Gerry” Wilson Davidson, 88, passed away on Tuesday, October 17, 2023 in the compassionate care of the staff at Ledgeview Nursing of Taylor Community in Laconia, NH.
Gerry was born on June 18, 1935, in Bath, NH, to his parents, Wilson and Nora (Lang) Davidson. He grew up a small town boy on his family’s dairy farm. Realizing as a young man that a rural life was not in his future, he attended Dartmouth College, to his mother’s delight. He met his beloved Elaine who would later become his wife. They married, moved to Bristol, CT, where Gerry was employed by New Departure Bearings. From Connecticut, they moved to Nashua, NH, with their three children, where Gerry was a family man and a successful businessman. Gerry enjoyed a very productive, impressive and successful career in management of computer technology at Sanders, Inc., Royal Business Forms and Dataroyal. His last position before retirement was with Bolt, Beranek and Newman of Cambridge, MA, which offered Gerry and Elaine the opportunity to live overseas in Denmark while Gerry supervised a Danish based company that had been acquired by BBN. This would be one of the major highlights and most enjoyable experiences of his long and accomplished career.
Gerry and Elaine were fortunate to have enjoyed many healthy, happy, busy years of retirement during which they traveled often, entertained with gusto and enjoyed life - especially on Lake Winnipesaukee. Gerry’s great passion in life, in addition to his family, was his boats. A quote by Kenneth Grahame says, “There’s nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as messing about in boats.” This is a statement that could sum up Gerry’s philosophy on life. Gerry could be found at any time, any given day, talking about old boats, working on old boats, playing with old boats, riding in old boats, racing old boats, thinking about old boats, living and breathing old boats. He was a talented craftsman, born with a gift of restoring wooden boats and engines to their original glory, a passion which he spent the majority of his adult life pursuing. Because of this passion, Gerry was blessed with decades of friendship with extraordinary people - the boat men and their wives - all of whom shared freely their own particular special gifts and talents.
Gerry has been described as being a great friend, a mentor, a pragmatic problem solver, a good and enthusiastic debater, a man who could do anything and do it well and a presence that will be sorely missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.
Gerry was a devoted and caring husband to Elaine for over 66 years. He was a beloved baby brother, a wise and loving father and grandfather, an adored uncle to his many nieces and nephews and good friend to many. Gerry was predeceased by his wife, Elaine. He is survived by his sister, Marjorie Page, his daughter Janet and her husband Michael Clow, son Brad Davidson and his wife Mickie, daughter Carole and her husband Kevin Padian, his grandchildren Jaime Gratton, Jackie Paul, Samantha McGough, Anna Aman and Liam Padian, great-grandchildren Lily McGough, Jackson De Los Santos, Brayan McGough, Hunter Paul, Torin Horman, Rita McGough, Desmond McGough, Samuel Gratton and Sawyer Paul. He is also survived by many, many nieces and nephews.
Godspeed, Gerry - a life well-lived.
A celebration of Gerry’s life will be held next summer.
For those who wish, the family suggests donations be made in Gerry’s name to the Wounded Warriors Project, PO Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675-8516.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services/603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St. Laconia, NH, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit wilkinsonbeane.com.