Isolde Ira Davis

https://www.heavenaddress.com/Isolde-Davis-AM/449174/obituary

Isolde Davis AM
Born in Germany on 27 May 1923
Passed away in Sydney on 19 August 2013
Aged 90 years
EULOGY FOR ISOLDE
27 August 2013

Isolde was born in 1923 in Konigsberg - then in Germany, now Kaliningrad in Russia - her parents were in transit, travelling from Germany to Lithuania at the time, and began her secondary education in Kaunas, Lithuania in 1940. Escaping with her family from the Russian incursion into Lithuania, she matriculated in Berlin in 1942. She undertook tertiary studies in arts and French language and literature in universities in Berlin, Freiburg, Zurich and Paris between 1944 and 1948, before coming to Australia with her mother and father, older sister, brother-in-law and niece in April 1949, as refugees.

Isolde met and fell in love with Paul Davidovits in the Urinquinty migrant camp and they married in November 1949 in Wagga Wagga. If you do the maths…that is a seven month courtship!!

Isolde’s teaching career actually started in the Urinquinty camp where she taught the children in the camp. Then, moving to Sydney with Paul, she taught at the Rooty Hills primary School before gaining a position teaching French, History and Geography at Ravenswood Methodist Ladies College on the North Shore.

After helping Paul in a series of delicatessen ventures, Isolde went on to complete a Librarianship Certificate in Adelaide in 1961 and worked in the Country Lending Library of SA. She finally completed her tertiary education in Adelaide, gaining a Bachelor of Arts from Adelaide University in 1969. Later, she also studied visual arts from 1987-1988 at Flinders University of SA.

Her long, varied and most importantly for her, rewarding, teaching career spanned over 40 years.

Teaching and Education (South Australia)
• Special Senior Mistress of Languages secondary schools, South Australian Department of Education, teaching French, German and Lithuanian;
• Member of the Secondary Schools Subject Committee (SA);
• Member of the Public Examination Board (SA);
• Member of the Senior Secondary Assessment Board of South Australia (SSABSA);
• Member of the Languages Committee (SA);
• National Chief Examiner in Lithuanian (Australian College of Education);
• Tutor (French), University of the Third Age (Adelaide)

Multicultural Education Achievements
With the culmination of her experience as a teacher in South Australian secondary Schools, Isolde took the opportunity, with the support of Greg Crafter, Minister for Education (SA) to visit Lithuania, to work there with high school teachers and to conduct 25 seminars on modern foreign language teaching methods between 1990-1992. Early in 1990, her plea for help to provide modern, Western-type learning materials to Lithuanian schools, resulted in a collection of 2,200 kilos of computer hardware and software, ESL (English as a Second Language) coursework and primary and secondary standard English readers, donated by the Education Department of Sa and schools in SA

In addition, at her instigation, the Education Department of Western Australia sent over 60 boxes of brand new ESL coursework to Lithuania. Isolde personally supervised the distribution of this material to 125 Lithuanian and Polish/Russian primary and high schools.

In order to further promote the learning of English in Lithuanian high schools, in 1991, Isolde established the Isolde I. Pozelaite English Language Competition with a monetary prize, for year 12 students across Lithuania. This competition is still maintained in three high schools.

In 2003 Isolde established the Vladas and Enny Pozela (her parents) prizes for art and science at the Julius Janonis High School in Sialiai, Lithuania, which is still being offered every year.

To this day, Isolde still receives letters from former students in Lithuania and Australia.

Rounding up sponsors in Australia, she also established a small art gallery in the Julius Janonis school. To illustrate the indigenous art of Australia, she donated a small collection of Aboriginal paintings and artefacts to the Vilnius Academy of Art.

As a further extension of her work in multicultural understanding and acceptance of other cultures, Isolde gave many lectures, including at the Centre for Intercultural Studies and Multicultural Education (CISME), University of Adelaide and at the 8th Conference of Baltic Studies, held in Australia. She has also written many articles on these themes in the Lithuanian and Australian press.

Her strong belief in education as a vehicle for multicultural understanding led her to become involved in various communities in South Australia as a:
• Member of the Ethnic Communities Council of SA
• Member of the Multicultural Communities Council of SA (on various committees and later Vice President)
• Executive Member of the Lithuanian Community of Adelaide
• Representative of the Lithuanian Community on the Multicultural Police Forum; • • Member of the Lithuanian Women’s Association (SA)
• Secretary, Trustees Committee for the SA Lithuanian Women’s Association Aged Persons Home Fund
• Member of the Sydney Lithuanian Women’s Social Services Association (NSW)

Other community and committee involvement
• Member of Women’s Electoral Lobby (SA)
• Seniors’ Week Committee Member (Council on the Aging) (SA)
• Member of Celebrating Diversity Coalition Committee (SA)
• Arts Convenor of the National Council of Women (SA)
• Member of the Australian Republican Movement Committee (SA)

Work in the media and publications
For seven years, Isolde was the producer of a monthly ‘Lithuanian Classical and Contemporary Music Hour’ on Radio 5UV (Adelaide) and was also a member of the Australian-Lithuanian Media Committee and Lithuanian Journalists’ Association.

Publications in French
Culture and Civilisation chapters for Dossier par Dossier in 'La France En Direct:
Chroniques de France' (booklet of Questions and Activities)

Articles in publications in English in Australia
• Lithuanian Papers
• The Advertiser (South Australia)
• Australian Ethnic Reporter, Tongues (articles on foreign language methodology)
• Ethnic Communities Council Newsletter (editor and reporter)
• Multicultural Advocate (editor and reporter)
• ‘New Trends in the Lithuanian Education System’ Baltic Studies in Australia II.
• Australian Lithuanian Chronicles II
• Lithuanian Sports Festival SA (Introduction and other articles)
• Wog Art (magazine)
• X Kultural Magazine
• Isolde was also a regular reviewer/contributor to The Sculptors Society Bulletin for many years.

Articles in publications in Lithuanian in Australia, Canada, England, United States and Lithuania
• Mūsų Pastogė, Tėviškės Aidai in Australia
• Tėviškės Žiburiai, Moteris in Canada
• Europos Lietuvis in England
• Draugas, Pasaulio Lietuvis, Aidai in United States.

Articles published in Lithuanian journals and newspapers
• Literatūra ir menas
• Krantai
• Kultūros barai
• Lietuvos rytas
• Santara

Awards and Medals
• 1994: Certificate of Commendation for work in the Lithuanian Community in
Australia - awarded by the World Lithuanian Community
• 1990-1992 and 2000: Certificates of Commendations from the Minister of Education, and various City Council mayors in Lithuania, as recognition for her work teaching foreign languages in Lithuania
• 1995: Isolde was appointed a Member of the General Division of the Order of Australia (AM) for Service to the Lithuanian Community and to Education
• 2001: Isolde received the Cross of the Knight of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas for services to Lithuania and the Lithuanian Community in South Australia

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As we all know, Lithuania with its culture, people, language and food were all important to Isolde. She spent only 21 years of her early life in Lithuania and the last 64 years in Australia, but the pull of her home country was strong, as evidenced by this extract from one of Isolde’s letters to Madeleine when she was overseas in Lithuania in 1998:

‘…I’m so happy to be among my old friends, to visit schools, to talk with students, to give lessons. Incidentally, they speak English quite well, at least in the schools I visited…
My dearest, I’m longing to see you, to have a long chat with you, but I am also very happy to be in my own country, to hear a language which is dear to my heart. I am really a Gemini - one part of me is definitely rooted in Australia; the other part is a little country called Lithuania, still not very well off, not well governed (this was the first few years after independence from the USSR). Sometimes I feel like a divided being, and yet my children, grandchildren, my lifestyle and yes, Australia, does exert a very strong pull. I know where my place is. It is with you all.’

There were a few constant themes through Isolde’s life: family, teaching, art and politics.

It was joked last night that Isolde probably wanted to pass away before the upcoming Federal election as she couldn’t stand having an Abbot Government!

Her grandchildren were a big part of her joy in her later years, with her three Grandchildren calling her “Ya Ya”.

Remy recalls: “I have so many good memories of Ya Ya. Her taking me to Bondi Junction to buy a chocolate Panini. Taking me on the bus to the museum – and one time I got in so much trouble as I got my head stuck in the window. Eating kolduni at the Lithuanian club.” Remy was Isolde’s first grandchild and always held a very special place in her heart. She called him “Mon petite chou”.

Isolde cherished her only Granddaughter, Lee: Lee remembers fondly “for my ballet concert, Ya Ya brought me a magnificent huge bouquet of roses”. It was as if Lee was debuting in the Australian Ballet. And of course Isolde’s love for languages and all things French has rubbed off on Lee. She will travel to France next week for a five month cultural exchange. Unfortunately Isolde probably didn’t realise this, but we know she would have been extremely proud of Lee for taking this adventure.

Miles was her youngest: “ I remember when Ya Ya made a bus out of our coffee table, children’s couches and cushions. I was the bus conductor and Ya Ya was a passenger, although she couldn’t climb on. We used her old train tickets as bus tickets”. Miles could do no wrong in Isolde’s eyes. She followed his progress in all his endeavours and she promised that she would live until she reached 90 (which she did) and until he reached high school. Miles has only one more term till he is there, so she kept her promise.

A favourite recent memory of mine was when Isolde declared that her dance partner was coming to visit her (in the nursing home where she spent her last years). We were puzzled and a little concerned that perhaps her mind was drifting back 65 years or so to her dancing days, but it turns out that it was Miles who was coming to visit, and when he did, he would do a flamenco dance for her. Isolde would sit proudly in her bed with her arms raised and fingers clicking!

Greg recalls: “I have lovely memories of family holidays going to Sawpit Creek. When I was older I enjoyed staying up late and watching TV programs like Poldark with Mum. Most of all I was happy to see Mum’s enjoyment in her grandchildren.”
We were extremely fortunate and grateful that Isolde had the time and energy, even in her mid 70s to look after each of Remy, Lee and Miles in turn for 1-2 days/week when they were little. They have fond memories of these days and we know it brought her tremendous joy.

Isolde had a good relationship with Greg’s childhood friends, many of whom still remember her fondly to this day. They spent a lot of time together in Blackwood. Whereas the boys were most happy playing footy, cricket, and later surfing, Isolde maintained her passion for trying to Greg to appreciate art. The strategy of taking a young Greg to galleries around Europe may have backfired, but this was one of Isolde’s endearing qualities – her love and endless enthusiasm for art.

Isolde’s grand niece Tiera recalls: “every tine I saw Aunty Isa she asked what Lithuanian word I learned that week, but I was too busy with my sport to be focusing on Lithuanian “
Fiona Pak Poy (Isolde's daughter-in-law) was a long time sportswoman, predominantly a hockey player having played competitively for 30 years, but that didn’t stop Isolde asking her at various times over the past 20 years “how was your soccer match?” Perhaps she was a closet soccer fan as she did have mini-soccer games with Miles in our living room, with both of them confidentially confiding in my later that they let the other one win!

Sophie Davis (Paul’s daughter from his second marriage) recalls about Isolde: “she was very kind and warm. She always paid me compliments”. This would have been because Sophie is pretty and well dressed, but it is very consistent with her stated philosophy of always giving positive encouragement, as is evidenced by this email extract received recently from her Lithuanian friend, Augute: “In the photo on my desk Isolde is young and smiling, the one I used to know. I still feel her encouragement not to stop: be strong, reliable, sincere, just and generous, help those who need support, believe in a child and encourage him for the slightest improvement, compliment and thank for the attention shown, love the family dearly, be strict but accurate, and remember Lifelong Learning lessons - treasure every minute of life”.

Treasure every minute of life

Thank you for being here to celebrate Isolde’s long life, her many achievements and her dedication to everything she undertook.