RONDI HILLSTROM DAVIS, LT’11, LI’18
DALLAS, TEXAS
Rondi Hillstrom Davis, known for her creativity and imagination, died of cancer in Dallas, Texas on December 17, 2020. Rondi was born on September 20, 1953 in Evanston, Illinois. She grew up in Glenview, Illinois and attended Glenbrook South High School. She earned BFA and MFA degrees from SMU, where she met Joe, her husband of 45 years. She later served on the faculty there as an assistant professor of theatre. She was an independent costume designer for over four decades. Rondi was renowned for her work in film, television, theatre, opera, and corporate productions. She designed everything from sequined cowboys to light-up inflatable snow globes to hundreds of period costumes for films like Trip to Bountiful and Dreams of Equality. As a natural leader who was generous with her time and talent, it came as no surprise that she was a mentor to many. She always had the name of someone who could help, a piece of advice, or a story at the ready. Her Rolodex was epic and crashed her computer when it was digitized; so many people touched her life and she touched so many more. Cooking, red lipstick, fresh flowers, hosting dinner parties, chocolate, and show tunes were some of Rondi’s favorite things. She loved holidays and celebrations and was the keeper of many special family traditions. She even co-wrote a book about them, Together: Creating Family Traditions. She was deeply loved by her family and friends: her husband Joseph Redmon Davis; her daughters, Genevieve Davis and Alice Davis (Peter Opoku); her parents, David and Betty Hillstrom (deceased); her sister, Karen Hillstrom; her brother, David Hillstrom (Karen); her brother, Robert Hillstrom (Dana); her nieces and nephews; her friends and the hundreds of people she worked with through the years she thought of you as family, too. Rondi was an ardent supporter of theatre and the arts. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The Arts Community Alliance (TACA) in memory of Rondi Hillstrom Davis. 1722 Routh St, Ste 800, Dallas TX 75201.
Obituary courtesy of the Dallas Morning News. To view the obituary on the Morning News site, please click the link below:
Rondi Davis Obituary (1953 – 2020) – Dallas Morning News (dallasnews.com)