Colleagues, family mourning sudden death of Trios Health board member

The Trios Health board of commissioners lost a longtime member over the weekend.

Kathy Davidson, 52, died unexpectedly at home Saturday.

Her husband, Duane Davidson, Benton County treasurer and a candidate for state treasurer, found her after returning from an out-of-town political event.

No foul play was involved and an autopsy isn’t planned.

Toxicology tests are being performed and officials are awaiting the results before confirming a cause of death, said John Hansens, Benton County coroner.

Kathy Davidson was elected to the Trios Health board in 2005 and was known for her preparedness, her attention to detail and her command of financial matters.

“Anytime there was a report or a presentation, she’d always read everything and was ready with some very detailed and necessary questions,” said Marv Kinney, board president.

He described her as “a very wonderful person” who was dedicated to Trios. “She spent a lot of time really looking into the issues and was always looking to make a difference,” he said.

Rick Reil, a fellow board member and close friend, said Davidson’s financial knowledge was invaluable on the board.

“She had an expertise that nobody else on the board did,” he said.

An accountant, “she really, really knew numbers. She was passionate about the hospital and her expertise really helped us stay focused on money matters,” Reil added. “Because of her tenacity, we were starting to make some big strides.”

Davidson also was deeply devoted to her family.

She almost never missed a board meeting, but on the rare occasion she did, it was to attend one of her kids’ sporting events or other activities, Reil said, calling Davidson “a great mom.”

She and her husband have three kids — daughters Bailey and Kinzey and son Luke. Kinzey, the youngest, is set to graduate in a few weeks from Southridge High School in Kennewick.

Davidson was born in Ellensburg and grew up in Yakima. She attended Central Washington University, where she met her husband.

They lived briefly in Yakima and then Nampa, Idaho, before settling in the Tri-Cities.

Davidson worked in accounting, but eventually stopped to raise her kids. She joined the Trios Health board as a way to use her skills to give back to the community, her husband said.

“She never missed any one of our kids’ (activities). And she was just a tremendous wife, who really gave a lot of support to me,” Duane Davidson said.

Kathy loved to knit and crochet, and she took great pride in cooking. Her holiday meals were something to see, Duane Davidson said.

And she always made something special for her husband’s and kids’ birthdays.

“Whatever our favorite was, that’s what she made,” he said. “We all preferred that rather than going out to a restaurant. We chose that instead.”

Duane Davidson said his wife helped pass a dedication to public service on to their children.

“All three have been really good kids, wanting to volunteer their time to nonprofits and things like that because of that sense of community,” he told the Herald.

Plans for a memorial service are in the works.

The remaining members of the Trios Health board will have 90 days to appoint a new member to Davidson’s seat. The seven-member board oversees the Trios Health system, which includes two hospitals and network of services and clinics.

For now, board members are mourning their colleague and friend.

“She was a very kind and caring person,” Reil said. “(Her loss) leaves a really big hole.”

Glen Marshall, Trios CEO, said the hospital community is shocked and saddened.

During Davidson’s tenure, “she lent her expertise and talent to several of the board’s committees and had been a great supporter of all things Trios Health,” he said in a statement. “As we collectively struggle with this loss, we will endeavor to preserve the momentum she and the board have created for the sake of our community and its health.”

This story was originally published May 16, 2016 at 10:35 AM with the headline "Colleagues, family mourning sudden death of Trios Health board member."