Leisure World Hall of Famer Dies

When it comes to the roles Gerry Davidson played, the list is long—mother, grandmother, social worker, environmental activist, and Hall of Fame distance runner—but those who knew her will remember her as someone who made a difference daily.

Davidson, 90, died in her sleep Friday at her home in Leisure World. She is survived by her only child, Norm Davidson, his wife, Katie, and three grandchildren, Scott, Amy and Sarah.

An American long-distance runner from Washington, Gerry and her late husband, Bob, spent 30 years together in Fallbrook, and her son said she always reminded him she was a “country girl at heart.” She is the current world-record holder in the women’s mile-run for the 85-year-old age group.

She competed in more than 300 races around the world.

Davidson didn’t start running until the early 1970s, when she decided to take up jogging as a way to exercise. It quickly turned into a way of life. She was a fixture in the local running scene and participated in marathons from coast-to-coast.

In 2008, Davidson told Fallbrook’s Village News, “for me running gives you a purpose, and it’s such a healthy thing to do.”

Norm said his mom was a competitor. 

“At 85, she told me, ‘I’m starting to slow down a little bit,’ ” Norm said. “I told her that is pretty normal, considering her age. But she said, 'I have to get back in the weight room and get a little strong. I am not ready to hang up my cleats. I just have to try harder and work harder. I can do it.’ ”

Debbie Selby, a friend of Gerry’s for 15 years, said running was everything to her.

“She loved running. She always wanted to run,” Selby said. “A lot of people her age didn’t get out of the chairs, let alone exercise, but she loved to get up, be outside and work out.”

But Norm Davidson said Gerry would want to be remembered as someone who made a difference and contributed positively to the world.

“If she left a footprint on earth, she would have wanted it to be biodegradable,” he said. “But, at the end of the day, the most important thing to her was family. She loved being a mom, and it was almost like she was given new life when she became a grandma.” 

But it’s her smile and constant drive to get better and to do more, that Norm will remember. 

“She was so loving and supportive,” he said. “She was a caring person and was there for us no matter what, and she always did everything with a smile. She kept pushing to be the best and was always willing to try and learn new things.”

Selby agreed.

“She was a great friend and a truly great person,” Selby said. “She was a big part of the Fallbrook community. Everyone knew her. She was always out and about. She was a staple here and an amazing person to be around and know. She will be missed dearly.”

Gerry was a licensed social worker. After earning her undergraduate degree in sociology at UCLA, she was selected by the county to go back to school and get her masters, which she did at USC.

“She started the UCLA-USC rivalry,” said Norm, the only other Trojan of the family. His son went to UCLA, as did Gerry Davidson’s brother and sister. “She always gave me a bit of a hard time for rooting against UCLA,” he said with a laugh.

Davidson’s memorial service will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at St. Hedwig Church, 1482 Los Alamitos Blvd.

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