1940 – 2015

RANGELEY — Sheylah A. Davis, 74, of 12 Allen St., Rangeley, died at the Hospice House in Auburn, with her family by her side.

She was born on Oct. 1, 1940, in Providence, R.I., the daughter of Walter and Jessica (Hobba) Annable. She attended schools in New York, New Hampshire and Maine, graduating from Lincoln Academy in Newcastle, Class of 1958.

Sheylah moved to Rangeley, and on Sept. 11, 1976, she married Rudolph “Rudy” Davis, and they have been together for 39 years. She had six children, April Anne, Kimberly Laura, Evangeline Starr, Tanja Starr, Edwin Davis and Erika Rene.

She was an accomplished musician on the violin, piano and bass guitar, and sang professionally for several years. She was well known in the Rangeley area for her yodeling skills and entertained with the family band known as the Country Bumpkins.

She joined the Rangeley Region Ambulance and served for nine years and became one of the first intermediate EMTs with IV skills in this area. She established the Rangeley Dispatch Center and handled the 911 emergency dispatching for the Rangeley area until it was moved to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in Farmington. She was a member of Rangeley Fire/Rescue and served for 25 years.

For several years, she administered the Toys for Tots Program in the area, and operated the weather station for the State Entomology Department.

In 1999, she received the Rangeley Lakes Chamber of Commerce community service award, which she was very proud of.

She was an avid animal lover and involved in many types of animal rescues, and adopted and raised over 24 cats and 15 dogs. She was a carrier for the Lewiston Daily Sun for twenty years in the Rangeley area.

She is survived by her husband, Rudy; four children; eight grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her daughters, Kimberly and Evangeline, who passed as infants of SIDS; her parents; and her brother, “Redbeard.”

She was dearly loved by her family and will be sadly missed.