Maria Cheney Davis was one of Englewood’s most enduring community builders. Over the course of nearly half a century, she helped shape the city’s Black civic life through health advocacy, volunteer leadership, youth mentorship, and sustained service to Englewood Hospital and local institutions.

Davis was best known as the founder and longtime president of the Dr. William F. Willoughby Auxiliary at Englewood Hospital. Established in 1953 to honor the hospital’s first Black physician, Dr. William F. Willoughby, the auxiliary became a vital fundraising and service organization at a time when African Americans were often excluded from formal hospital leadership. Under Davis’s guidance, the group raised thousands of dollars to support hospital facilities and patient care, including furnishing and maintaining the Dr. Willoughby Room, contributing equipment, and later supporting additional service spaces within the hospital.

Her leadership style emphasized continuity and intergenerational responsibility. Recognizing the importance of passing civic values forward, Davis helped inspire the creation of a Junior Auxiliary, composed of daughters and granddaughters of senior members. Through garden parties, community events, and hands-on service, young members learned philanthropy by example—an approach that ensured the auxiliary’s mission would endure beyond its founders.

Beyond the hospital, Davis was deeply involved in Englewood’s civic and social organizations. She was active in the Urban League of Bergen County, the Leonard Johnson Day Nursery, and several women’s professional and civic groups serving Black residents in Englewood and Teaneck. Her service bridged faith, politics, and community life: she was a longtime member of Galilee United Methodist Church, participated in church guild work, and also served as a Republican committeewoman in Englewood.

In recognition of her decades of service, Davis received numerous honors, including an Urban League community service award in her nineties. Even in advanced age, she remained publicly engaged, continuing to raise funds and attend community events well into her late 90s.

When Maria Cheney Davis died at the age of 100, tributes emphasized not only her longevity, but the infrastructure of care and service she helped build. Her legacy lives on in Englewood’s medical, civic, and faith institutions—and in the generations of young people who learned public service by following her example.

Davis was also Leroy McCloud's mother-in-law.

Lauer, Evelyn. "Almost a century of giving to others." The Record, 15 Aug. 1990, p.NV-2.

"Young Auxilians Follow Elders' Example." The Record, February 23, 1971.

"Maria Cheney Davis, 100." The Record, September 13, 1992.

"Urban League Salutes 3." The Record, May 16, 1987.
"Maria Cheney Davis." The Record, 13 Sept. 1992, p. 22.