Kitty Davy
Katherine Laura Davy | |
---|---|
Kitty Davy at the Meher Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina | |
Born |
Kensington, London, England | August 25, 1891
Died |
December 3, 1991 100) Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States | (aged
Other names | Kitty Davy |
Occupation | Music teacher, Mandali |
Notes | |
Photo by Win Coates |
Katherine Laura Davy (August 25, 1891 – December 3, 1991),[1] better known as Kitty Davy, was a mandali of Meher Baba.
Kitty Davy was born in Kensington, London, England, the daughter of John and Helena Davy. Kitty and her brother Herbert Davy first heard of Meher Baba in 1931 from Meredith Starr after visiting Starr's meditation retreat at Combe Martin in Devon. Kitty and Herbert were instrumental in making provisions for Baba's first arrival in London in September 1931 and Kitty was part of a very small group to greet Baba for the first time at London Victoria station.[2] Kitty also made preparations for Meher Baba to stay at the Davy family’s residence at 32 Russell Road, Kensington.
Later Kitty Davy was among the first westerners to travel to see Meher Baba in India in 1933.[3] Along with several other western women, Kitty came and lived as a resident mandali at Meherabad with Meher Baba in India from November 1937 until 1952.[4] She was also among the western women who accompanied Meher Baba on his Blue Bus Tours throughout India in 1938–39. In 1952, during a trip to the Meher Spiritual Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Meher Baba asked Kitty to stay and assist the Center's founders Elizabeth C. Patterson and Princess Norina Matchabelli in the Meher Center's operations. Kitty then lived and worked on the Meher Spiritual Center until her death at the age of 100 in 1991. Her ashes are interred near Meher Baba's samadhi in Meherabad, India.
She was the author of the book Love Alone Prevails: A Story of Life with Meher Baba (1981) which recounts the 50 years of her life spent as one of his closest disciples.[5]
References
- ↑ Birth and death dates are based on the United States Social Security Death Index. Some sources give her birth date alternately as August 28, e.g. Love Street Lamp Post - Fall 1989 p. 3, Fall 1990 p. 7.
- ↑ Kalchuri, Bhau: "Meher Prabhu: Lord Meher", Manifestation, Inc. 1986. p. 1405
- ↑ Meher Baba Words, The Master's Glossary, Davy, Katherine (Kitty)
- ↑ Kalchuri, Bhau: "Meher Prabhu: Lord Meher", Manifestation, Inc. 1986. p. 2241
- ↑ Davy, Kitty: Love Alone Prevails : A story of life with Meher Baba, Sheriar Foundation (2001)
External links
- Photos and more on Kitty Davy at meherbabatravels.com
- Meher Spiritual Center Official Site - Kitty Davy
- Kitty Davy Anthology
- Heroines on the Path