A Life Shaped by Story
Author. Teacher. Social Worker. Matriarch. A woman who has spent more than nine decades living fully — and three decades writing it all down.
Delores Davis
Author · Speaker · Teacher
Delores L. Davis was born the only child of Felbert and Lillian Smith, raised on the South Side of Chicago by her family after her mother's early death. She graduated 7th in her class from Du Sable High School, followed Aunt Mary to the Pacific Northwest, and enrolled at Seattle University in 1951 — earning her B.S.S. degree and joining Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She then traveled to Boston, earned her M.S.S.W. from Boston College in 1953, and met the love of her life.
Shortly after graduating, she married George O. Davis, Sr., a Jamaican immigrant. Together they drove cross-country from Hartford, CT to Seattle — navigating Route 66 with the Negro Motorist Green Book as their guide — to resettle near Aunt Mary. Delores built a career in social work and healthcare, spending two decades at University Hospital. She raised six children on her own after George's fatal heart attack in 1971, and never remarried. In 2020, Seattle University honored her with a Lifetime Achievement Award for Community Service.
After retiring in her 60s, Delores embarked on a second career as an author — producing more than 20 books over three decades. She has also taught hundreds of seniors how to write their own life stories through her Writing Your Life Stories workshops, presented at SeniorNet of Bellevue; various other venues and at the Mormon Church's annual genealogy conference for 10 consecutive years. She also pursued her own family's genealogical roots. Today, at 97, she continues to write, teach, travel, quilt, paint, and live fully.
To help people capture the stories only they can tell
Through her books, workshops, and speaking engagements, Delores has guided hundreds of students — many in their 70s and 80s — in documenting their life experiences. She believes every person carries a story worth preserving, and that writing it down is one of the most meaningful gifts you can leave behind.
Preservation
Family stories, histories, and memories deserve to be written down and passed on.
Resilience
A life that has weathered loss, raised a family alone, and kept writing — well into her nineties.
Community
From the South Side of Chicago to the Pacific Northwest — always rooted in service and connection.
Milestones
Enrolled at Seattle University; joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
Earned M.S.S.W. from Boston College; married George O. Davis, Sr.
Published her first book, The Gift of Memories
Received Lifetime Achievement Award for Community Service from Seattle University
Published Echoes of a Dream Deferred — her most recent work, with BookBaby
Let's Connect
Whether you want to read her books, attend a workshop, or invite Delores to speak — she would love to hear from you.