On November 17, 2025, at the age of 88, Rita Joyce Davison (née Lewis) passed away quietly at home in Herselt, Belgium, surrounded by family. Rita was born in Kalispell, Montana, on January 5, 1937. Her parents were Marion and Thelma Lewis, deceased.
Rita is survived by her husband of 57 years, Roy Allen Davison, and by their three children: Stuart Jay Davison (Connie), Tonia Lynette Nyéki (Mario), and Connie Yvonne McGuiggan (Ian). She also leaves behind ten grandchildren: Christopher Davison, Marc Davison, Trevor Davison, Tjardo De Roovere, Kilian De Roovere, Liam Nyéki, Calum McGuiggan, Morwenna McGuiggan, Iona McGuiggan, and Bethan McGuiggan.
Rita is survived by her three siblings: Shirley Straker (Walter, deceased), Bob Lewis (Martha), and Betty Kemp (Wayne).
Rita was buried at Kloosterheide Cemetery in Lier, Belgium, on November 24, 2025, after a graveside service conducted by close family members. They sang some of Rita’s favorite hymns and read passages of Scripture.
A memorial service was held on December 7, 2025, with brethren and friends in attendance from Belgium and Holland. The service included a tribute in person by Rita’s daughter, Connie. Her son, Stuart, sent a tribute that was read aloud. Brief descriptions of some of Rita’s favorite things were read by her daughter, Tonia, and by her grandsons, Tjardo and Kilian. A message sent by Rita’s closest friend, Celia Rog, was also read.
Three men from Rita’s home congregation led a prayer, read a Scripture, and presented a brief message on the Christian’s promise of eternal life. Her entire home congregation was present. Some neighbors who attended commented on how beautiful the singing was. Scott Raab, who preaches for the church in Maastricht, Holland, led the service.
Rita attended Radville Christian College in Saskatchewan, Canada, for her four years of secondary school. After graduation, she studied Bible full time at the school for one year and then worked as the school secretary for half of the following year.
Later, she studied at Abilene Christian College in Texas and at York College in Nebraska. At York, she met and fell in love with Clifford Hamm. They were married by Rita’s father in Livingston, Montana, on August 21, 1959, and were blessed with a son, Stuart, in September 1960. They worked with the church in Mulvane, Kansas. Sadly, Cliff passed away on July 11, 1961, due to an accident.
After Cliff’s death, Rita lived in Mulvane until 1965. Then, she and Stuart moved to Lubbock, Texas, where Rita was employed as secretary to the Dean of Lubbock Christian College.
Roy, who knew Rita from high school in Radville, visited her in Mulvane in 1963 and visited her again in Lubbock in 1967, at which time they started corresponding. Roy made a special trip from Belgium at the end of the year, at which time he and Rita were engaged. They were married in Lubbock on June 8, 1968, and Roy adopted Stuart shortly thereafter.
At the end of the summer, Rita and Stuart accompanied Roy to Flanders, Belgium. Roy had already been serving for five years as an evangelist for churches of Christ in the Dutch-speaking part of Europe.
At Roeselare, Stuart was joined by a sister, Tonia, in May 1970, and by another sister, Connie, at Beveren-Waas in June 1973.
In 1974, Stuart went to Western Christian College in Saskatchewan, Canada, and was home only during school holidays after that.
For 57 years, Rita assisted Roy as they worked with congregations in Roeselare, Merksem, Hasselt, and the Antwerp area.
Rita played an important role in a student evangelist program for eight years. The young men from Canada who came each year to work with Roy, ate their warm meal with the family five evenings a week.
Rita and Roy had a close association with Christians in the Eindhoven, Holland, area for almost 50 years. During many of those years, Roy served as a visiting preacher one Sunday each month.
For more than 20 years, they attended the Brussels congregation once a month where Roy preached. For several years, they also visited the church in Den Dolder, Holland each month. These visits were in addition to their work with whichever local congregation they were members of at the time. They worshipped with two different congregations on many Sundays.
Rita was someone who never pushed herself forward. She focused on being a full-time worker in the home, who loved being a mom and a grandma. In later years, she was often adopted as “Grandma” by others as well. She loved the Lord with all her heart from childhood, she loved to sing, and she loved to laugh. Through her dedication to the Lord and her loving, compassionate, joyful, and sparkling personality, she blessed everyone who knew her and made a tremendous contribution to the cause of Christ.
Condolences may be posted at this address: https://www.online-tribute.com/RitaDavison
(Submitted by the family.)