Elaine Davidson

Elaine Marlys (Hilden) Davidson was born on October 8, 1949 in Hettinger, North Dakota and died peacefully at the age of 76 on September 19, 2026 in St Paul, Minnesota after a fierce fight with dementia.

Elaine spent the majority of her life in Adams County, North Dakota where she was born and raised. After graduating from Hettinger High School in 1967, she attended Dickinson State University to earn a teaching degree and returned to her alma mater in 1970 to start her career teaching Spanish and Language Arts.

In 1971, Elaine married Donald Davidson, also from Adams County. She and Donny raised their children Jill and Troy in Hettinger, and were active members of the school and greater community. After retiring from Hettinger Public School in 2003, she spent five years teaching part-time at Scranton Public School. With the long-held goal of escaping northern winters, she and Don built a home in the Tucson, Arizona area in 2005. Elaine moved to Arizona full-time in 2008 and began teaching at Sahuarita Middle School, until she retired for good in 2013.

A beloved teacher and colleague, Elaine constantly engaged in jokes and shenanigans with her coworkers and never had a dull moment at work. Many of Elaine’s former students and fellow staff will fondly recall her famous Special K bars which she loved to share. One of Elaine’s favorite mottos was, “Eat dessert first, life is so uncertain.” A tireless worker who took her responsibilities as a teacher very seriously, she was well-suited to her work and made a positive difference in the lives of countless students over her 43 years as an educator.

Her retirement in 2013 was just in time to welcome her first grandchild. Her first question to the new mother was, “Have you started reading to him yet?” Full of spunk and silliness, “GramE” loved spending time with her grandchildren at every opportunity. Elaine thoroughly enjoyed her later years in Arizona where she could steer clear of winter snow and cold year-round. She regularly took advantage of the many culinary and cultural opportunities of the greater Tucson area, particularly musical events. She was charmed by the animals of the southwest and loved looking for javelinas in her desert courtyard every evening.

Elaine was an adventurous traveler and visited many US and international destinations. A passionate literacy advocate and booklover, she was also a lifelong learner. After she stopped teaching public school students, she stayed in the classroom as a student and volunteer through University of Arizona’s OLLI classes. One of her favorite activities was attending the annual Tucson Festival of Books. She was an avid walker–neither the cold of North Dakota, nor the heat of the Sonoran desert, could deter her from getting her steps.

Elaine had many cherished friends, and some of her closest relationships were with her beloved pets. When she wasn’t out walking, she could often be found on the couch cuddling with any number of cats and dogs. Or Beanie Babies–her extensive collection, still in pristine condition, will be donated to her granddaughter’s elementary school.

Elaine was a rabble rouser by nature and relished debates with people who didn’t share her opinions, especially on politics, feminism, religion, vegetarianism, and more. Independently-minded until the end, she never conformed to others’ expectations of her.

Elaine is survived by her devoted husband Don, son Troy, daughter Jill (Seth), two grandchildren, her brother Lyle (Laurelle), sisters-in-law Rhoda and Holly, ex-sister-in-law Donna, niece Melanie, and many extended family members and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents Mildred and Lloyd Hilden, her brothers Ron and Larry, and her nephews David and Michael.

Elaine’s family wishes to thank the staff and caregivers at Willows of Ramsey Hill Memory Care and Lake Valley Hospice in St Paul, MN for compassionately caring for Elaine in her last months of life, regardless of her occasional ornery attitude. Her family is also certain she will continue to silently correct our grammar in perpetuity.

Flowers in memory of Elaine are welcome to the first floor at Willows of Ramsey Hill at 80 North Mackubin St, St Paul, MN 55102 or alternatively, memorial donations may be made to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona: https://hssaz.org/