Dates

• Existence: 1916 August 2 - 2006 March 19

Biographical Note

Rita M. (Davoly) Webster (1916-2006) was a member of the Women Air Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II.

Rita M. Davoly was born in New York state on August 2, 1916 to Edward and Elvira Davoly. Davoly took her first airplane ride in 1942 and immediately joined the Civilan Pilot Training program, the sole woman in a class of nine males. Upon completion of the program, she joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program in 1943. After her graduation, Davoly was based at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas as an instrument instructor. Davoly also piloted and ferried a variety of aircraft, including the Fairchild PT-19, Martin B-26 Marauder, North American AT-6, and Vultee BT-15.

When the WASP program was ended in 1944, she obtained a job ferrying old PT-19s from a storage depot to a New Jersey airport. She also was the pilot for several aerial photography and mapping flights during this time. Here she also met her first husband, Odd Ronstad (1921-1964). The couple married in 1945 and sometime around 1946-1947 they relocated to Seattle, Washington where they eventually had two children. She later met and married her second husband, Grey Webster (1910-1986). In 1990, Davoly visited Russia with fellow WASP pilots to meet members of the Soviet "Night Witches," an all female aviation regiment from World War II.

Davoly was a member of the Children's Orthopedic Guild from 1982 until her death presumably, and was an avid gardener, cook, and bridge player. She remained in the Seattle area for most of her life. Rita M. (Davoly) Ronstad Webster died in her sleep at her home in Seattle on February 14, 2006.

Biography derived from donor information, collection materials, and records on Ancestry.com.

Occupations

• Air pilots

Topics

• Women air pilots
• Women in aeronautics

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