Edward H. Davidson, 96, of Urbana, died at 10:20 p.m., March 2, 2009 at Clarke Lindsey Village.

Services will be held at 4:30 P.M., Friday, March 6, 2009 at the Emmanuel Memorial Episcopal Church, 102 N. State St., Champaign, conducted by The Reverend Al Herbst. After cremation, entombment will be in the Emmanuel columbarium. There will be no visitation. Renner-Wikoff Chapel & Crematory 1900 S. Philo Rd. Urbana, is handling the arrangements.

Mr. Davidson was born July 23, 1912, at Mason, Nevada, a son of Robert Newman and Ada Hutchins Davidson and was married on July 1, 1944, to Ann Elizabeth Sorrells in Sheridan, Arkansas. She preceded him in death.

Survivors include two daughters, Sarah D. McHaffie, of Lexington, Kentucky, and Deborah D. Borchers, her husband, Phillip Borchers, of Pueblo, Colorado; two grandsons, Jeffrey W. Klotz; his wife, Lisa, four great-grandchildren, Morgan, Mitchel, Alexandra, and Olivia, of St. Joseph, and a grandson, Nathaniel D. Borchers of Salt Lake City, Utah. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother.

Mr. Davidson attended Virginia public schools, graduated Bachelor of Arts in 1934 from the American University, and in 1940 received his Ph.D. degree in English literature from Yale University. He taught at Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, from 1938 to 1942, and then served as an instrument flying instructor in the Army Air Corps form 1942 to 1946. He resumed teaching at Ohio University and at Hunter College in New York and came to the University of Illinois in 1951, where he taught American literature until his retirement in 1980.

He published editions of Nathaniel Hawthorne and books of criticism on Jonathan Edwards, Thomas Paine, Hawthorne, and Edgar Allan Poe, as well as articles and reviews in professional journals. He was for one year a John Simon Guggenheim Fellow and a visiting professor of American literature at Harvard University. He was a member of various professional organizations and numerous local civic committees.

Mr. Davidson was a lifelong Episcopalian and for more than half a century served in the work of Emmanuel Memorial Church for which he wrote "Emmanuel: A History of the Parish." Memorial contributions can be made to Emmanuel Church or to an organization of the donor's choice. Condolences may be offered at renner-wikoffchapel.com.