Jadienne Mary Nolan Davidson, age 74, of Saint Louis, Missouri, took her final bow on the evening of Wednesday, May 27, 2026, passing away peacefully surrounded by her family after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

Born on October 5, 1951, in Saint Louis, Jadienne—affectionately known to many as Jaye or Jade—spent the majority of her professional career in property management across the St. Louis metro area. Her true passion, however, was the world of the arts, where she was an accomplished local actress and director. She beautifully merged her career and passion when she took over as the manager for the Leather Trades Artist Lofts downtown, where she helped cultivate and nurture a vibrant community of local artists.

Jadienne was a permanent fixture in the St. Louis community theater scene for nearly four decades. Beyond her time on stage, she dedicated her leadership to the arts community, serving on the boards of Arts For Life and Clayton Community Theater. Over the years, she brought her talents to Act Two Theater, Affton CenterStage, Clayton Community Theater, Creative Differences, Heartland Theater, Kirkwood Theater Guild, KTK Productions, Curtain Call, O’Fallon Theater Works, Overdue Theater, and the Theater Guild of Webster Groves, among others.

Her acting resume was extensive. Some of her favorite and most memorable roles included Audrey (Little Shop of Horrors), Truvy and Ouiser (Steel Magnolias), Charlotte (Moon Over Buffalo, which she performed twice), Mrs. Clackett (Noises Off, also twice), and Sister Amnesia (Nunsense). Her vibrant spirit also shined on the pageant stage, where she competed in the Ms. Senior Missouri Pageant in 2023 and proudly held the title of Ms. Senior Indiana in 2024.

Above all her achievements, Jadienne was fiercely devoted to her family. She was a loving wife to her husband, John Davidson; an amazing mother to her sons, Jim (Carrie) Van Nest and Dan (Lottie) Meehan; a caring stepmother to Casey (Bill) and Sarah (Cian); and a doting grandmother who was never afraid to spoil her grandchildren: Jamie, Cameron, Katrina (Dane), Ibbi, and Sadie. She is also survived by her beloved mother, Joy Dittmaier, and her sister, Jan. She was preceded in death by her father, Tom Nolan.

Jadienne lived life with immense color and joy. She loved her family, her vast theater community, her QuickTrip Iced Tea, and Lorna Doones. Her favorite things brought her endless happiness: decorating extravagantly for the holidays, Broadway show tunes, Wheel of Fortune, true crime, and the Hallmark Channel. She had a deep love for Paris, Barry Manilow, her dog Bruiser Woods, painting ceramics, and her adventurous elf, Edlin. She was an avid collector of Godzilla memorabilia, Pez dispensers, Beanie Babies, and Betty Boop, and she tenderly cared for many rescue kittens and puppies throughout her life.

Celebration of Life

A memorial celebration of Jadienne’s life will be held on Saturday, June 13, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM at:

Kirkwood Memorial Post 156 314 S. Clay Ave

Kirkwood, MO 63122

Memorial Contributions

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in Jadienne’s honor to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research to help fund a cure.