OBITUARIES
OF BLESSED MEMORY

56 | APRIL 29 • 2021 

T

hroughout her 
lifetime, Dorothy 
“Dottie” Gerson 
was guided by three great 
passions: her family, her 
multitude of friends and 
her commitment to help-
ing others. As energetic 
and determined as she was 
giving and compassionate, 
Dorothy lived each day to 
the fullest, remaining active 
and connected to the peo-
ple she loved. On April 16, 
2021, Dorothy passed away, 
just three weeks short of her 
100th birthday. 
Dorothy and her younger 
brother, the late William 
“Bill” Davidson, grew up in 
Detroit, in close proximity 
to their grandparents, aunts, 
uncles and first cousins. As 
the oldest, she frequently 
looked after “the boys,” a 
precursor to her later — and 
most fulfilling — role as the 
matriarch of a large and lov-
ing family. 
She began her studies at 
the University of Michigan 
and then moved to New 
York, where she received a 
bachelor’s degree in business 
from Barnard College and a 
master’s in accounting from 
Columbia University. By 
taking advantage of the city’s 
many cultural offerings, she 
began a lifelong appreciation 
for art, music and theater. 
She met her husband of 66 
years, the late Byron “Bud” 
Gerson through a mutual 
friend, and, after one false 
start, the two became insepa-
rable. Their marriage was an 
egalitarian partnership brim-
ming with love, humor and 
mutual respect, despite his 
proclivity for promptness and 
her tendency to “finish one 

more thing” before leaving 
the house.
The couple traveled the 
country and the world, includ-
ing many missions to 
Israel. Dorothy was 
raised in a family of 
avid Israel support-
ers, and the Gersons 
and Davidsons 
proudly continued 
the legacy through 
numerous visits and 
transformational con-
tributions. 

LOVE OF THE ARTS
Dorothy was a caring and 
attentive mother to her sons, 
Ralph and Matthew, with 
whom she shared her love of 
the arts. 
“She was determined 
to make sure we were 
well-rounded, so she took 
us to art museums, the 
DSO Youth Concerts and 
Broadway shows,” said Ralph. 
Matthew remembers going 
to services at Congregation 
Shaarey Zedek on Saturday 
mornings with his mother 
and brother, an experience he 
describes as “awe-inspiring.” 
She embraced her sons’ 
wives, Erica and Marysia, as 
if they were her own daugh-
ters, and her granddaughters, 
Stephanie and Maddie, were 
her greatest pride. She liked 
planning special activities 
and spending one-on-one 
time with each one.
She was close to her broth-
er Bill and maintained close 
relationships with her first 
cousins and their extended 
families, teaching her sons by 
example to prioritize family 
in their own lives. 
Her Yom Kippur break-the-

fast gatherings and Passover 
seders, which she hosted in 
her Franklin home through 
her mid-90s, were legendary, 
and always included 
newcomers to town 
or those who had no 
family to celebrate 
with. 
Dorothy was an 
active member of 
Hadassah, which 
her mother, Sarah 
Wetsman (Ralph) 
Davidson, helped 
found. She was a 
generous supporter of the 
local arts, including the 
Detroit Symphony Orchestra 
(DSO), the Detroit Institute 
of Arts (DIA), The Henry 
Ford and a founding mem-
ber of the Jewish Ensemble 
Theatre (JET). 
She amassed a remarkable 
art collection and, to make 
her art accessible to a broad-
er range of people, she donat-
ed many pieces to the DIA, 
the Henry Ford Museum and 
the Cranbrook Art Museum. 
She was a knowledgeable and 
talented gardener who looked 
forward to seeing the spring 
flowers bloom each year. 

DEVOTION TO OTHERS
Dorothy’s devotion to her 
many friends was unsurpassed, 
and she had a knack for mak-
ing each person feel like they 
were the closest. She spent 
several hours a day catching 
up with friends and family, 
which Bud jokingly referred 
to as “working the phones.” 
She believed in helping 
people whenever she could, 
and she did so in her own 
quiet way, expecting nothing 

in return. When she learned 
that someone was facing 
illness, divorce or financial 
problems, she stepped up to 
provide whatever support 
they needed.
“Caring and giving were 
in her DNA,” said Rabbi 
Aaron Starr of Congregation 
Shaarey Zedek in his eulogy.
Dorothy is survived by 
her beloved sons, Ralph J. 
(Erica) Gerson and Matthew 
(Marysia) Gerson; grand-
children, Stephanie Gerson 
and Madeleine Gerson; sis-
ters-in-law, Karen Davidson 
and Jeanne Gerson; nephew 
and niece, Ethan (Gretchen) 
Davidson and Marla (Cyrus) 
Karimipour; and a large 
extended family of nieces and 
nephews, great-nieces and 
great-nephews, cousins and a 
world of friends. She was the 
devoted wife of the late Byron 
“Bud” Gerson; the daughter 
of the late Ralph and Sarah 
Wetsman Davidson; and the 
sister of the late William “Bill” 
Davidson. 
Interment was at Clover Hill 
Park Cemetery. Contributions 
may be made to Jewish 
Federation of Metro Detroit, 
Byron Gerson Fund, 6735 
Telegraph Road, Ste. 260, P
.O. 
Box 2030, Bloomfield Hills, 
MI 48303, (248) 642-4260, 
jewishdetroit.org/send-a-trib-
ute; or the Detroit Institute Of 
Arts, Byron Gerson Fund, 5200 
Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 
48202, (313) 833-7979, dia.org/
support/donate; or Hadassah-
Greater Detroit Chapter, 5030 
Orchard Lake Road, West 
Bloomfield, MI 48323, (248) 
683-5030, www.hadassah.org/
detroit; or a charity of one’s 
choice. Arrangements by Ira 
Kaufman Chapel. 

A Force of Nature 
with a Caring Heart

RONELLE GRIER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Dorothy Gerson

