Frances (Fran) Davids December 24, 1919 -March 6, 2006 Frances (Fran) Davids, 86, of State College, died at Mount Nittany Medical Center on Monday, March 6, 2006. Born in Boston, Mass., Dec. 24, 1919, she was the daughter of Abraham and Ida (Epstein) White. After attending business college, she held a civil service position at the State House in Boston. During World War II, she worked for the War Shipping Administration and the Maritime Commission in Washington D.C. She and her husband, Norman, met and were married there in 1945. They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on March 17, 2005. She attended U.C./Berkeley and Johns Hopkins University, and received a B.A. in journalism and an M.A. in speech from Penn State in 1962 and 1971. She was an early "adult student," having received her degrees after the age of 40. She was a writer and editor whose articles and stories had appeared in numerous publications, both national and local. For a number of years, she was a feature writer for the Harrisburg Patriot-News. She wrote a column, Valley Views, for the Centre Daily Times, and she also wrote a humor column for two years for several Pennsylvania newspapers. A TV documentary which she produced jointly with artist/photographer Wendy Snetsinger, received several awards of distinction. She had written publicity for many local organizations, among them the Women's Resource Center and the Voluntary Action Center. As a board member and president of the Centre County Mental Health Association, she has been actively involved in campaigning for a mental health facility in Centre Community Hospital. In more recent pursuits, she was active for many years in the Book and Play Review Group of the University Women's Club, and she belonged to the Penn State Alumni Assoc. and the State College Woman's Club. A member since its inception of the Jewish Community Center/Congregation Brit Shalom, she had served as the editor of the newsletter, The Scroll, and reported on senior programs. She belonged to Nittany Valley Penwriters, the English Speaking Union, and Hadassah, an international Jewish women's group. Hiking, gardening, reading, and opera had been among her interests. Survivors include her husband; a daughter, Laura Todd, of Oaks; two sons, Gerald and Stuart, of State College; two brothers, Norman White, of Sanbornton, N.H. and Ralph White, of Hyde Park, Mass.; and three grandchildren, Rebecca Rodrigues and her husband (Michael), Aaron and Jeremy Todd, of Oaks. A memorial service will be 2 p.m. Monday, March 13, 2006, at the Jewish Community Center/Congregation Brit Shalom. Interment will be in Centre County Memorial Park. Contributions in her memory may be made to the Jewish Community Center, 620 E. Hamilton Ave., State College, or to Planned Parenthood, 434 W. 33rd St., New York, NY 10001. Arrangements are being handled by the Heintzelman Funeral and Cremation Services, State College.