Sara Simmons Davidson

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Sara Simmons Davidson, 94, of Oxford, died peacefully in her sleep on Saturday, January 21st. 

A memorial service will be held at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Oxford on Thursday, January 26, 2023, at 11:00 A.M. Visitation will be held in the church parish hall from 9:30 A.M. until the service at 11:00 A.M.  Burial will follow in St. Peter’s Cemetery.

Born to Dr. James Franklin Simmons and Ruth Barwick Simmons in Cleveland, Mississippi, her family then moved to Skean, a tiny Delta town. Sara graduated from Greenville High School, and then enrolled at Ole Miss. Sara was a popular presence on the Ole Miss campus, being a cheerleader, May Queen, and active member of the Delta Gamma Sorority.

She met the love of her life, JW (Wobble) Davidson, when he returned from serving in the marines during WWII and joined the football coaching staff at Ole Miss. He swept this charming freshman coed off her feet and they soon married. Sara and Wobble lived in the football dormitories for 13 years and there they raised their two children, Don and Deb, along with countless other young football players who looked upon Sara as their beloved dorm mother. These young men continue to love and honor her today and have been instrumental in the creation and support of the M-Club Wobble Davidson Scholarship. Sara was always eager to encourage new scholarship recipients to do their best while carrying the M-Club spirit fostered by Wobble and countless Ole Miss athletes and alumni.

An entrepreneur at heart, early on Sara purchased the Oxford Depot where she established her successful interior design and antique business. She carried the most positive outlook on life, and when asked about this, her mother would say, “Sara was born happy.” She made everyone she met feel special and important. She was well known for being gracious and loving, always reaching out to friends and strangers alike with kindness and generosity.

Sara’s positive spirit was the result of her deep faith in Christ and His love which abided in her until her death. She was a faithful and devoted member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church for 70 years, once serving as Junior Warden where her design skills were greatly put to use in earlier church renovations. With her quiet, but firm determination to get things done, she left her mark on this church she so loved.

She is survived by her two children, Deb Davidson Mashburn (Tim), and Don Simmons Davidson, two grandchildren, Timothy Hudson Mashburn, Sr. (Marti) and Sara Kathryn Mashburn Kopecky (James), and three great-grandchildren, Timothy Hudson Mashburn, Jr., Cecile Russell Mashburn, and Hazel Kathryn Kopecky.

Memorials may be made to the M-Club Wobble Davidson Scholarship Fund at the University of Mississippi Foundation, 406 University Avenue, Oxford, MS, 38655, or by calling the Foundation at 662-915-5944, or to St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Oxford.