Daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, patriot

Mildred Marie Davaz: 1923-2017

Mildred Marie Zawadsky Davaz, 93, died on June 14 in Bozeman, Mont.

She was born on July 7, 1923 in Baltimore, Md., to Jennie and Nicholas Zawadsky.

A first generation American, she grew up with her twin brother Wesley, and sister Helen, east of Baltimore in the rural town of Abingdon, along the northern reaches of Chesapeake Bay.

She was the valedictorian of the Class of 1941 at Old Post Road High School in Harford County, Md. She attended Maryland State Teachers College at Towson and during World War ll, worked for the U.S. Army at Edgewood Arsenal and Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.

She married 2nd Lt. Carl G. Davaz, U.S. Army, on April 20, 1952.

Mildred, Carl and their five sons traveled far and wide around the U.S. and the world. Living in the Far East and Europe during the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s enabled the family to experience the richness of many cultures.

When living in Taiwan in the mid-1960s, Mildred taught English for President Chiang Kai-shek’s officers at the Chinese Military Academy. The students were very curious about America. She was asked whether it was really true that you could actually shop in one store for all of your groceries.

Mildred was an active member of the Army Wives Club, served for 12 years as a Red Cross volunteer nurse and enjoyed playing bridge.

Carl retired as a colonel in the fall of 1976. They built a home in the Newport Glen area in Bellevue, Wash. They lived there for 35 years surrounded by families who considered Mildred and Carl as surrogate grandparents.

They traveled around the country to visit family and enjoyed watching their own grandchildren grow up.

Mildred was raised a Roman Catholic. Her devotion to God and the joy she found within the faith communities carried her throughout her life.

‘Good, better, best’

Her lifelong favorite saying was “Good, better, best. Never let it rest. ’Til good is better and better is best,” a quotation attributed to St. Jerome.

She was a long-standing member of St. Madeleine Sophie Catholic Parish in Bellevue. She valued her friendships with fellow parishioners and the clergy of the parish, Father James D. Picton and Father Emmanuel Iweh.

In January 2012, Mildred and Carl moved into Highgate Senior Living in Bozeman, Mont., to be near to their son Dennis and daughter-in-law Karen. Carl died in February 2012.

Mildred became a member of Holy Rosary Parish where she loved Father Leo Proxell’s sermons. She also enjoyed the elegant architecture of the church and felt blessed to be able to worship God in such a beautiful setting.

She moved into the Spring Creek Inn in July 2016. At both care facilities, she was touched by compassion of staff members and the relationships that she developed through Befrienders. She said it takes a special kind of person to take care of the elderly.

Mildred was a patriotic American of “the greatest generation” and lovingly saluted Old Glory when it passed by. She died on Flag Day.

She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Wesley, sister Helen and husband, Carl. Her son Leslie died June 17, 2017.

Survivors include her sons and their wives: Carl and Kim of Eugene, Ore.; Nicholas and Roxanne of Santa Barbara, Calif., and Mesa, Ariz.; Socorro, widow of Leslie, of Charlotte, N.C.; Douglas and Sandra of Chandler, Ariz.; and Dennis and Karen of Livingston, Mont.

Nine grandchildren: Elsa Davaz Andrew; Claire Reed Davaz McGowan; Lukas Davaz; Nicholas Davaz; Natalie Davaz; Melissa Davaz Herron; Lilly Davaz Sochor; Stephanie Davaz Geering and Vanessa Davaz.

Five great-grandchildren: Olivia and Eliot Andrew; Rylee and Brooke Sochor and Berks McGowan.

A Rosary was led on Monday, June 19, at the Dahl Funeral Home in Bozeman. Visitation followed.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m., on Thursday, June 29, at St. Madeleine Sophie in Bellevue.

Committal will be at 11:15 a.m. on Friday, June 30, at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Befrienders of Bozeman by visiting befriendersbozeman.org or to Wounded Warriors Project by visiting supportwwp.org.