Anita Kay Brownlee Davenport Cushing

Anita Kay Brownlee Davenport Cushing, 81, wife, mother, "Nana," and friend to all, passed away on November 8, 2022, after living with dementia in the most childlike sweetness.

Born September 8, 1941, to Darrell and Grace Brownlee, she grew up in Jerome, Idaho, and always proudly referred to herself as an “Idaho farm girl.” She was a graduate of BYU, where she met and then married Byron Franklin Davenport on March 30, 1962, in the Salt Lake Temple. 

Anita was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in numerous positions and callings. She had a zest for life, a "can-do" spirit, the best smile and a hug for all. Always up for an adventure, she loved traveling, camping, fishing, attending sporting and cultural events (especially the Utah Shakespeare Festival), playing games, doing puzzles, art projects, watching movies and television (a favorite was Star Trek) and was an avid reader.

Anita was a fantastic cook (famous for Nana’s Noodles/homemade chicken soup), seamstress, woodworker, and dedicated homemaker raising six children John (Jimmie); Laura (Clayn) Sonderegger; Beth (Rich) Martin; James (Molly), Daniel (Natalie), and Amy (Jeff) McMurdie. As her children grew she returned to work using her degree as a speech therapist with Davis County Head Start and later accepted the position of Disability Coordinator.

Her husband Byron died of colon cancer in 1995 and she found her life to be a bit aimless. In April 1999 she was asked out on a date by then Bountiful Mayor John Riley Cushing, and it went so well, they were married soon after on July 6, 1999. They were exactly what each other needed at that point in their lives and they had 23 years of amazing adventures and wonderful times together, including the opportunity of serving as the Mission presidents of the Eugene Oregon Mission from July 2002 to July 2005. That marriage added five more loving children to her life, Ruthanne (Jim) Hubbard, Julie (Reed) Nelson, Kaye (Kelly) Barton, Kenneth (Gail) Cushing, and Gena (Tyron) Pablo.   

In addition to being survived by her second husband and all her children, she is also survived by a brother, Willis (Anne) Brownlee; sisters Mary (Dan) Deans, and Ruth Brownlee, 36 grandchildren, and 35 great-grandchildren (with one more on the way), Preceded in death by her parents, her first husband Byron Davenport, her brother Darrell Brownlee, Jr., and sister Donna Tea, and one great-grandson.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, November 21, 2022, at the Church of Jesus Christ chapel, 1476 North 300 West, Bountiful, Utah. Friends and family may call Sunday, November 20, 2022, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Russon Mortuary, 295 N. Main St, Bountiful, Utah, and on Monday morning from 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. at the church prior to services. The interment will be in the Bountiful City Cemetery.

Services will be streamed live on the Russon Mortuary & Crematory Facebook page and on this obituary page.  The live stream will begin about 10-15 minutes prior to the service and will be posted below.

The family would especially like to thank the wonderful Kumi Talmage for her personal care of Anita and the Bountiful Legacy House Memory Care staff for their exceptional care of Anita these past several months.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests you make donations to the Davis Education Foundation.org for early childhood Head Start. https://dsdgive.net/event/2