When the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra plays, there's a bit of Janet H. and William C. Davids Jr. in every note. The Belmont Shore couple donated generously to the orchestra, but never sought, and often resisted, recognition. ''They gave anonymously,'' said Fran Spears, director of the symphony association. ''They didn't like the limelight. These are the kind of people that just worked all of their lives and helped in a quiet way. They had such big hearts. And when I say they were beloved I really mean that. It's like losing a member of the family.''
Their coda played this week. The Davidses died on Valentine's Day, 2000, when their single-engine Cessna Skyline 182S crashed in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada near Yosemite National Park, the Mariposa County Sheriff's Department confirmed Wednesday. After leaving the Long Beach Airport Sunday and stopping in Fresno, the couple were headed to a home on Whidbey Island, north of Seattle, sheriff's deputies said.
Janet, a volunteer at the symphony, was 63. William, a contractor and retired Pasadena firefighter, was 67. The couple lived in a Covina Avenue home that William gutted and remodeled on his own. They owned rentals in the shore and near the Colorado Lagoon.
The Davidses rarely missed a Terrace Theater performance by the 83-member orchestra. In addition to music, the Davidses enjoyed flying, boating, playing games, walking and time with friends. They did not have children or pets.
William Davids grew up in Altadena. He is survived by brother Leonard Davids, 64, a retired engineer who lives in San Pedro, and sister Dorothy Burns, 59, an administrative assistant from Arcadia. ''He was sort of a gruff character,'' Leonard Davids said of William. ''He was straightforward and had very strong ideas about various subjects.'' Burns said her brother ''enjoyed a good argument, whether he was right or not. He would argue to death. He was very strong-minded and really independent, but still had a really big heart.''
Janet Davids is survived by two brothers, Donald Howell (SPHS '49), 68, of La Verne and Carl Howell, 73, of Scottsdale, Arizona.
Janet graduated from South Pasadena High School in 1954 before going to secretarial school, Donald Howell said. ''What can you say? She's very nice,'' he added. ''She's liked by all and was a big supporter of your concert series down there.''
Donald Howell said his brother-in-law was an experienced pilot and was ''instrument-rated,'' meaning he was licensed to fly in bad weather. Weather in central and northern California was bad the day of the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the accident's cause.
The Davidses married in 1959 and lived in the Pasadena area until moving to Belmont Shore's Covina Avenue in the 1970s.
Long Beach Press-Telegram, February 17, 2000
