Marilyn A. Davidson

Rochester – Marilyn Anne Davidson, 92, of Rochester, formerly of Portsmouth and West Newbury, MA, passed away peacefully on Monday, May 26, 2025, at Birch Healthcare Center in Rochester. Marilyn was born on July 4, 1932, at home on Turkey Hill Road in West Newbury, MA, to the late Charles and Alice (Ordway) McCrillis. She grew up on a dairy farm with her siblings and parents. Marilyn was a graduate of Newburyport High School in Newburyport, Mass. After graduation, Marilyn began working at Western Electric and married her first husband, Robert Phaneuf Sr. Together they had two sons, Robert “BJ” and Charles. In 1966, she met Blynn Davidson, and the two were married in 1967 and moved to Portsmouth, NH. They shared 30 plus years of love and companionship until Blynn’s death in 2000. Together they had one daughter Suzanne. Marilyn had a passion for sharing her skills with others. She taught both sewing and swimming lessons for many years and was a familiar face at Tidewater Campground. She drove a school bus for McCrillis School Bus Company, until retiring at age 62. She found joy in traveling with Blynn, sewing, knitting, and quilting—handcrafting cherished gifts for her loved ones. In her younger years, she and Bob Sr. were semi-professional ballroom dancers. Her love for animals was rooted in her upbringing on the Dairy farm, and she carried that affection throughout her life. One of Marilyn’s most treasured connections was her lifelong friendship with Ena, her pen pal from Wales, UK. Their enduring correspondence was a source of joy and companionship across the miles. Marilyn made several trips with Blynn to see Ena in the United Kingdom. Marilyn will be remembered for her caring heart, creative spirit, resourcefulness and love for her family. She had a unique ability to make the most of what she had and always found a way to make things work. She is survived by two sons and a daughter: Robert A. Phaneuf and his wife Julie, Charles A. Phaneuf, and Suzanne (Sue) Casper; her brother, Douglass McCrillis; her grandchildren: Eric McGuiggan and his wife Melissa, Kristin Michelle, Elizabeth Costa and her husband Jon, Faylee Phaneuf and her partner Phil Dimanche, Angel and her husband Josh Bregler, and Charles Phaneuf. Her great-grandchildren Koby and Ryan McGuiggan, Lucas and Nora Costa, Theo and Grey Bregler, Gisele and Philippe (Jr). All services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in Marilyn’s memory may be made to Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland

Marilyn A. Davidson

July 4, 1932 - May 26, 2025