August 16, 2020
Benson, Evon
Mrs. Evon Davidson Benson, 88, passed away on August 13, 2020 of natural causes at her home in West Roxbury, MA. She was born in Atlanta, Georgia on March 13, 1932, the only child of Archie Donald Davidson and Annie Rae Burdette Davidson. As a child, her family relocated frequently; she attended a different school every year until high school, as she followed her father’s career in the baking industry around the Midwest. They returned to Atlanta, GA where she graduated from Bass High School. After receiving her B.S. in education from the University of Texas in Austin, she returned to Atlanta, where she took a teaching position in first grade at Ed S. Cook Elementary School, motivated by the idea that she could contribute to the underserved community of children and families living in a public housing area in downtown Atlanta. Evon went on to have a long and distinguished career as an educator. She was a classroom teacher in the Atlanta and DeKalb County School Systems for 21 years. Later, after earning her M.Ed and Ed.S. graduate degrees from Georgia State University, she became a Reading Specialist and Supervisor in DeKalb County, tutoring and designing curricula for elementary school children with reading difficulties for 17 years. She earned many professional awards and accolades, culminating in being chosen Georgia Reading Educator of the Year by the Metropolitan Atlanta Council for the International Reading Association in 1982. She was inducted into The Georgia Reading Hall of Fame in 1991. After retiring in 1989, Evon enjoyed worldwide travel, and remained active in many volunteer capacities, including as a reading instruction volunteer at her church (Mountain Park UMC in Stone Mountain), and as a proud volunteer at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. She relocated to Boston in 2006 to be closer to her family. She became a popular and beloved part of the community at her new residence, Sophia Snow Place, and remained an active volunteer both at her new faith home, Stratford Street Church in West Roxbury, and their community food pantry, Rose’s Bounty. Evon is survived by her two sons, Don Benson and his wife Christine of Brooklyn, NY, and John Benson and his wife Kay of West Roxbury, MA. She was a doting and loving grandmother to her four grandchildren, Olivia, Emily, John and Hannah. Hannah, who came into the family through adoption from China, adoringly knew her as Nai-Nai, a version of the Chinese term for paternal grandmother. She is also survived by her cousins, Janet Brookins of Henrico, VA and Donna Petrie of Aurora, CO. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Rose’s Bounty Pantry, c/o Stratford Street United Church, 77 Stratford Street, West Roxbury, MA 02132 or the Make-A-Wish Foundation, 133 Federal Street, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA 02110.
Comments(4)
Our family was saddened to hear of Evon’s passing. She is my dad, Hugh T Morgan’s last cousin on his mother’s side. Dad is very sad. Evon was always well loved by all of the Morgan’s. We have heard many stories from dad of family gatherings of the Burdette’s. I will miss sending her yearly updates at Christmas & getting her updates as well. Please keep us in touch, and accept our heartfelt sympathy.
Thank you Don and John for sharing your mom with us all these years; for her company on long walks through the woods, around Spring House and back before breakfast; on the Swan Boat ride to Cheers; on boating lunches on the Charles; and afternoons in the garden; thank you for all those days we will never forget.
Evon was my mentor, my friend and like a sister to me. She always had time to listen and we shared our families together as they grew and grew. We loved to go with her to Colossus for pizza or meet at Panera for coffee when she came into town. Don and Chris and John and Kay. we send our love. Olivia, Emily, John and Hannah always remember your nai-nai loved you so very much! And I loved her.
Evon was my first reading supervisor when I became the Reading Teacher at Rock Chapel Elementary School in DeKalb County. She was an inspiration to me and a great source of knowledge to pull from. My deepest sympathies go to the family.