Muriel Davidson was born on January 2, 1924, in Los Angeles to her beloved mother, Bessie Lehrman Gilson, and beloved father, Moe Gilson. She and brother Dennis Gilson remained very close their whole lives.
Muriel was a happy girl, excelled at Thomas Star King Junior High, John Marshall High School and received her BA in Education at UCLA. She obtained a primary teaching credential with a sub-specialty in facilitating creativity in young children and had the honor of being accepted to do her student teaching at UES, the University Elementary School, now called The Lab School, located on the UCLA campus.
In 1945, Muriel married the love of her life, restaurateur Marvyn Ross Davidson, and helped the Davidsons develop the successful Carolina Pines restaurant and cutting edge coffee shops in Los Angeles.
Muriel had an extraordinarily big heart, embraced her enormous extended family and a wide circle of friends, friendships many of which spanned over a seventy year period. One of Muriel’s remarkable gifts was that wherever she went, she improved the lives of those she encountered. She was a surrogate mom to many of her nieces and nephews. She and Marvyn traveled the world and Muriel became the travel agent to many of her friends. She was a gourmet cook, a gracious and hospitable hostess and learned to speak French well enough to make herself understood on their frequent trips to France.
Muriel loved and was very proud of her daughter Judy Davidson and Judy’s lifelong partner, Steve Sonier, son Ronald Jay Davidson, M.D., granddaughters Rachel Davidson and Julia Manela, grandson-in-law David Manela, and great-grandchildren Meir, Tzvi, and Tova Manela.
She died of natural causes, peacefully in her sleep early Saturday morning, January 30, 2021.
Muriel, all of us will love you forever!