OLD ORCHARD BEACH — Mention the name Carol Davis to someone in the community, and the first thing that’s likely going to come to their mind is the Old Orchard Beach Community Food Pantry.
Davis died at the age of 70 on Feb. 8 after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She helped found the food pantry at 155 Saco Ave. and served as its director since its inception in 2012. Prior to that, she was a volunteer at the Old Orchard Beach Food Pantry, located at the Old Orchard Beach Methodist Church.
The pantry gives food to qualifying Old Orchard Beach residents in need, and also distributes bread and used clothing to members of the public.
“She dedicated her life to the pantry. She was the one who had this dream, and we followed her,” said fellow pantry volunteer and long-time friend Sandra Paynter.
Though it was a volunteer position, Davis treated the directorship like a paid job.
If the pantry was open, Davis was there, and when she wasn’t there, she was often at home doing paperwork for the pantry. She was even known to go to the pantry on occasion after hours if there was someone who needed food and she recruited her husband, Ed, as a volunteer.
“In the 10 years I knew her, she never took a vacation,” said Paynter.
Davis didn’t talk about her illness, and didn’t want the focus to be on her.
Paynter said Davis was participating in a board meeting in late January from home through speaker phone, and at the beginning of the meeting she told board members that she had stage four ovarian cancer.
“I gasped and she said, ‘This meeting is not about that, it’s about the pantry,’ end of subject; that’s how Carol was,” said Paynter.
Though Davis was passionate about making sure others weren’t going hungry, she did more than distribute food. She created an environment at the pantry where people felt comfortable sitting down and talking if they needed someone to listen to them, and if someone needed help, Davis would go out of her way to connect the person to available resources.
“Carol was a lovely lady. She was truly altruistic and selfless in her care for others. She was a very positive asset for a lot of families in Old Orchard Beach who needed help,” said pantry volunteer Allen Hess.
Davis never judged others, said pantry volunteer Vickie Sanchez. She said Davis taught her to believe in herself and her potential.
“I’ll always remember the lessons she taught me and will be grateful that she showed me patience and allowed me to serve under her,” Sanchez said.
Davis saw the good in everyone and in every situation, said pantry volunteer Adrienne Guyette.
“She was firm but fair when there was a conflict or complaint,” Guyette said.
Mary Germain said prior to the food pantry, she had never volunteered before, and Davis was a mentor to her. She said Davis always took the time to thank all the volunteers at the pantry for their work.
“I just can’t say enough about Carol. She was so generous and kind to everyone,” said Germain.
Pantry volunteer Tom Hanafin said Davis taught him her philosophy regarding the pantry — that the pantry was redirecting and redistributing food, and much of the food was surplus that would have been thrown away if not used by pantry clients. Davis, he said, taught him that the pantry was merely using resources that would have otherwise been wasted. Because of Davis and her view on the pantry’s mission, no one ever felt embarrassed to go there, Hanafin said.
“You know how we go through our lives wanting to make a mark. She made that mark,” said Paynter. “Nobody’s going to forget Carol.”
Community members are invited to pay tribute to Davis at a celebration of life ceremony from 1 to 3 p.m. on Feb. 23 at The Brunswick, 39 West Grand Ave.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be reached at 780-9015 or by email at egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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