Mary Rhoda McFie-Reed Davidson passed away peacefully at home in Arcadia on October 12th, 2021, surrounded by her daughter Mia, her son Sven, and her daughter-in-law Jo Ann. She was 92 years old. Mary was born in Hollywood January 28, 1929, to Mabel and Ralph McFie. At three months of age, Mary and Mabel sailed to the Philippine Islands where Ralph ran his hemp plantation and ranch, Piedad, on Luzon Island. Ralph died when Mary was young and her mother later married Fitz Reed who worked for Standard Oil. Fitz adopted Mary thereafter. In 1941, Mary returned to California with her mother to attend high school on the eve of WWII. Fitz stayed behind to sell their properties and was set to join them on the last China Clipper out of Manila Bay but was recalled to active army service after the Japanese attack. He was killed when a Japanese ship being used to transport POWs was sunk by an American submarine. Mary attended Monrovia-Arcadia-Duarte High School and graduated from Pomona College with a BA in Psychology. She spent the next year attending the Cordon Bleu in Paris and traveling around Europe before returning home to the United States. In 1950, Mary was hired by United Airlines as a stewardess and flew until 1956 when she married her husband Sven, a Swedish tennis player on tour, in Mexico City. They resided in Stockholm, Sweden when not on the international tennis tour. When Mary's mother, Mabel, passed away in Arcadia in January 1967, Mary and her three children moved to Arcadia. Sven joined them in 1970 after concluding his sports commentating and business commitments in Sweden. Mary started a second career in tax preparation at age 50 after becoming angry at the family accountant who treated her like the "little lady". She became an Enrolled Agent, teaching tax preparation (specializing in Estates and Trusts) and managing several H&R Block offices. She continued to work through her mid-80s before finally retiring. Mary was laid to rest next to her mother at Rose Hills Memorial Park on October 21st. Her beloved husband's ashes were interred with her. She is survived by her three children, Mia, Mona and Sven Davidson Jr., daughter-in-law Jo Ann and two grandchildren Erika and Sven Davidson III. She will be truly missed.
Published by Los Angeles Times on Nov. 7, 2021.