Obituary of Dorothy Lewter Davis

Dorothy Lee Lewter was the second of six children born to Reverend Rufus C. Lewter and Mary Lee Mitchell on November 20, 1927 and accepted Christ at an early age. She graduated from Florida Normal High School in Sebring, Florida in 1945. Dorothy received her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1949 from Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia, where she also pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She later received her Masters of Science degree from Atlanta University. In 1951, Dorothy began her teaching career at Fort Valley State College in Fort Valley, Georgia. In 1954, she married Johnnie Elmer Davis, SFC, United States Army. They became the proud parents of their only child, Terence D. Davis in 1959. Shortly thereafter, in 1961, Dorothy transferred her teaching credentials to the Lee County District Schools in Fort Myers, Florida where she taught at Dunbar Elementary School. In 1965, Dorothy agreed with her mother that "it was time" to enroll her son and his first cousin, Renee, in school at the Edison Park Elementary School where they made history as the first African American children to integrate the Lee County School District. The following year, in 1966, Dorothy was widowed on Christmas Eve. In 1967, Dorothy and her best friend, Miriam Campbell, founded the Theta Nu Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in Fort Myers. The following year, Dorothy became the school district's first African American teacher to teach at the Edison Park Elementary School, where her son and niece had already integrated that school. When her father became ill in the mid 1970's, Dorothy moved her son, her parents and herself to Anaheim, California at the urging of her brother, Dr. Rufus C. Lewter, Jr., who was a resident physician at the Fountain Valley Hospital. Dorothy continued her teaching career at Monte Vista Elementary School. Dorothy lived with and cared for her parents until their passing. Dorothy joined the First Mission Baptist Church in Santa Ana, under the pastorate of her cousin, Rev. Arthur Lee Lewter. While worshipping at First Mission, she envisioned her calling to the underserved families and their children and founded Pride Development Council, a non-profit daycare and extended care organization where she was the Executive Director. When she retired in 1995, Dorothy moved to Fairfax, Virginia to live with her niece, Deborah. While living in Fairfax, Dorothy joined the Greater Little Zion Baptist Church where she was an active member. In 2004, Dorothy returned to California to live with her son and his family, but in 2007 her health began to decline. After being cared for in several elder care facilities, her eldest sister, Margrie, insisted on having Dorothy transferred to Long Island, New York, where Margrie was pastoring. Dorothy resided at Little East Neck Nursing and Rehabilitation Center until her passing on Father's Day, June 21, 2020. Dorothy was deeply loved and highly respected by family, friends, and coworkers. She is preceded in death by her husband, Johnny Davis, her parents, Rev. Rufus Cleveland Lewter and Mary Lee Lewter, her brother and sister in-law, Dr. Andy C. Lewter, Sr. and Ruth Fuller Lewter, her brother in-law, Rev. A. Charles McElroy, Sr., and her sister in-law, Helen Lewter. She is survived by, in addition to her son, Terrence Davis of Southern California, four siblings: Dr. Margrie Lewter Simmons of Massillon, Ohio, Dr. R.C. Lewter, Jr. of Moreno Valley, California, Clayton Lewter of Orlando, Florida, and Pastor Maryanne Lewter McElroy of Riverhead, New York, as well as two grandchildren, Tramel D. Harris of Decatur, Georgia, and Tyler A. Davis of Corona, California. She also leaves, to cherish her memory, a host of nieces, nephews and friends.