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Frances Davison (MA in Special Education ‘93), a former middle school special education teacher, and her husband Ross Davison, a former secondary earth science teacher, are long-standing supporters of education. They recently pledged to create the Richard Keith Davison Endowed Education Scholarship Fund at CU Denver to honor their son and support teachers who are interested in serving students with differing abilities.

Frances and Ross met in high school, and both attended The University of Louisiana at Monroe to earn bachelor’s degrees in education. In 1973, they moved to Colorado to begin their teaching careers.

Frances started as a reading teacher in Jefferson County Schools and then realized that she wanted to learn more about serving students with special needs. As a young mom, she started taking graduate classes in Special Education at the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Education & Human Development, first as a part-time student working a full-time job, and then as a full-time student. “It was a great education that really prepared me to do my job to the best of my ability,” said Frances. She loved her CU Denver faculty members, earned a job after graduation as a middle school special education teacher in Westminster Public Schools, and received multiple teaching awards throughout her career including Westminster Elks Middle School Teacher of the Year award in 2013, multiple Rotary and civic organization teaching awards, and ARC’s Special Education Teacher of the Year in 2000. Over her 21 years in teaching, she influenced hundreds of young lives and made lifelong friendships with coworkers. She loved it so much that after retirement, she continued as a substitute teacher for six more years.

“A former student named Amy nominated Frances for the ARC teaching award saying she had been a major influence in her life,” said Ross. “I remember the day that Frances talked candidly to Amy and her mother about the importance of turning in homework, having a strong work ethic, and treating her mother with respect.” Amy, who has Down Syndrome, now owns her own condo, works in a school cafeteria, and has invited the Davisons to her 35^th birthday celebration.

Ross taught earth science classes at Everett Junior High and Wheat Ridge High School in Jefferson County Schools. He received a graduate teaching degree in 1990 from the University of Northern Colorado and was highly engaged in their Center for Public Engagement with Science. He retired from teaching in 2000 to be able to help care for his mother, then father, and then sister-in-law toward the end of their lives. In 2004, he became a manager of an Alcoholics Anonymous facility, a job he cherished and held full-time until 2017.

Their son Richard was a funny, genuine, and caring person who enjoyed being of service to others. He took a break from school to tile roofs in Las Vegas, and the hot, back-breaking work really changed his outlook on life and work. He earned a degree in nursing from Concorde Career College, became a Registered Nurse in 2014, and worked in a long-term nursing facility. He passed away suddenly and accidentally, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a stressful time for healthcare workers nationwide. Nothing prepared him for what he witnessed with his patients during the pandemic; he did love the nursing profession. He adored spending time with family and traveling.

“Frances and Ross Davison’s support of the School of Education & Human Development underscores their unwavering support for teachers who go the extra mile to empower their students,” said Dr. Marvin Lynn, Dean and professor at CU Denver. “Their extraordinary gift ensures that CU Denver students majoring in Special Education will have unparalleled opportunities to lead and innovate in the field.”

“We are honored to support students who wish to serve or are currently serving students in special education,” said Frances. “This investment reinforces our love for the education profession, and the love we had for our son who received support from special education teachers when he was young. When you get prospective or current teachers who really want to work with underserved students, it is important to support them in any way you can. It’s our legacy now.”

The Davisons are extremely thoughtful philanthropists. They have pledged to create an endowment through the CU Foundation to support future special education teachers called the Richard Keith Davison Endowed Education Scholarship Fund. In addition, they have made donations to several local nonprofit organizations, including the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, the Denver Botanic Gardens, Westminster Retired School Employees Association’s two- and four-year scholarships, and Alcoholics Anonymous. Richard Davison’s good works will live on through the wide variety of gifts made in his memory.

Interested in planned giving opportunities that will support CU students’ passions to improve society? Please contact Susan Cleveland at [email protected].