Davis Waldron Carolyn

Article by Francis Racine
The Journal Cornwall
December 11, 2013

Pictured is Carolyn Davis Waldron, while at the very first Multicultural Festival which was held on December 7 at the Cornwall Civic Complex.

"I've always loved helping other people" she said. "I try to at least to help one person a day." Tucked away in the back of the room is Davis Waldron's painting exhibition. A portrait of a woman adorned in Asian traditional clothing is next to a beautifully painted tiger. The painter calmly smiles as the many passersby stop and stare at her excellent works.

"I've been doing art ever since I was 10 years old," explains the Green Valley resident. "What I paint depends on my mood at the time. Playing music really helps me to explore my inner self and expressions as well as detail and color.'

The Cornwall Royal Canadian Legion member explains that her many works invite the viewer to look beyond the obvious art to explore their own feelings. "I was featured at the CBC once," she tells one curious visitor. "They showed up with cameras and said they didn't have time to waste. So I asked them if ten minutes was good and they said yes."

Davis Waldron claims she couldn't even sketch what she had to paint. "I just took a can of paint and created three beautiful yellow roses along with a vase," she explains.
Although her favorite mediums are oil on canvas, she also admits to using water colors on boards and paper, as well as ceramics and tiles.

But as if all her gorgeous art pieces weren't enough, the Toronto native points to a book located on a table close to her .: "I'm also a published author," she admits with a sense of pride in her voice. "I've gotten good praise for it and it's especially popular in Toronto.
The biography is entitled Lotta Dempsey - The Lady was a Star. The l85-page book contains fascinating pictures of the famous Toronto journalist. "Writing it was quite a challenge, " says the successful woman.

"I met a lot of interesting individuals such as Jean Chrétien, Carol Channing and Paul Martin, whom I know very well." As she holds the biography she chuckles amidst the many recurring memories. "The only person I never got to meet was Pierre Trudeau," explains Davis Waldron. "He was too busy with his memoirs at the time. I personally think it was because Lotta Dempsey had not always written kindly of him."

Sitting back, Davis Waldron reaches in her pocket and hands me a sheet of paper. "Here is a little of the awards I've received over the year," she said. Upon opening the folded sheet, a rather big paragraph becomes visible. In it, one can decipher that the sweet and soothing voiced woman has an amazingly interesting life. Being herself a poet, her works been published in the acclaimed International Library of Poetry in 2000. She has also received a certificate of appreciation from the Volunteer Committee of McMicheal Art Gallery in 1995 as well as the coveted 125th's Governor General Canadian Medal, for her many kind acts of charity towards the community. Davis Waldron was also listed in Chatelaine's ,Who's Who of Canadian Women and in the book entitled "The Greatest Women of the 21st century."

The gifted woman is the mother of six biological children and two adopted children, as well as the grandmother to seven grandchildren. At the same time, she boasts an important education resume, having a graduate degree in business from Shaw College as well as a degree in art from the Ontario College of Art. Over her prestigious career, she has been President of Delma Research Entreprise, an accountant for the First National City Bank, Career supervisor for North York Aquatics as well as community director of arts and crafts for the Lawrence Heights High School.

But under her heartfelt smile lies a story which could bring anyone to tears. I've lost two husbands in the past." she explains. One of them passed away from a heart attack, while the other was killed while crossing the road. '"He had just left and I had kissed him goodbye," she says with sadness in her voice. "Moments later he was struck crossing the road to his work."

This meant that the young mother had to raise her children mostly on her own, which
she did, all the while pursuing her love of arts. But as if life wasn't tragic enough, she
lost one of her daughters, while another is suffering from a brain tumor.

"When you say goodbye to someone in the morning, it could very well be the last
time you see them," she says, "Every time I wake up, I thank God for the gift of being alive.