- Date Of Birth: January 17, 1925
- Date Of Death: November 21, 2016
- State: New Mexico
Edith “Ede” Davenport Raybould, a long-time resident of Albuquerque, died at home on November 21, 2016. Born Edith May Davenport on January 17, 1925 in Roy, NM, she was the second of three children, between sister Allie and brother Fred, to Mary Aletha Gray and Alfred Moore Davenport. She attended Roy Public Schools and graduated from Roy High School in May of 1943.
After studying at the University of New Mexico for three semesters, she taught primary school in Mills, NM for one year on a wartime certificate. Following that year, she returned to UNM and completed her undergraduate degree in the spring of 1947. While at UNM, she was a member of Spurs, the Alpha Delta Pi sorority, Mortarboard, Student Council, History Honorary, Education Honorary, the Student Union Building Committee, and the Publications Board. In addition, she served as the editor of the campus magazine, Thunderbird, and as president of the Associated Women Students. Because of her outstanding academic achievement and campus involvement, she was chosen for Who’s Who Among Students In American Colleges and Universities.
Upon graduation, Ede began her teaching career in the Albuquerque Public Schools at Lincoln Jr. High and Albuquerque High School. She continued her education while teaching and earned a Master of Arts in History and English in the spring of 1951. She met and fell in love with Benjamin Campbell Raybould at Central United Methodist Church where he was a member of the choir, and they were married there on August 5, 1951. Ede and Ben shared over 60 beautiful years of marriage together, and saw their family grow with the births of four children and six grandchildren. After her children started school, Ede returned to APS as an elementary school librarian. Though she enjoyed classroom teaching, she found her passion in encouraging young students to develop a love for reading and books. She endeavored to bring books to life by presenting flannel board stories, reading books aloud with great expression, and engaging students in reading contests. Ede taught as a librarian at Ranchos, MacArthur, Mitchell, and Tomasita elementary schools before her retirement in 1987.
Ede was very active for many years at St. John’s United Methodist Church and the Pathfinder Circle of United Methodist Women. She held dear her church family and treasured the many friendships developed there.
Family was of utmost significance to Ede. She cherished her beloved husband, loved deeply each of her children, son- and daughters-in-law, and adored her grandchildren. She was blessed throughout her entire life by a large and very close-knit extended maternal family. Some members considered her the unofficial family historian and looked to her to recall and retell stories of times past.
Thursday, December 1st, 2016, 5:00pm – 7:00pm, FRENCH – Wyoming
Friday, December 2nd, 2016, 10:00am, St. John’s United Methodist Church
