Charles Philip Davidson

Charles Philip Davidson, 51, passed away in West Palm Beach, Florida on November 16, 2024. Born on August 16, 1973 in Morristown, New Jersey, he was the son of Lee Davidson and the late Sharon “Britt” Northcutt.

After his birth in New Jersey, Charles spent most of his early years living with his family overseas in: Antwerp, Belgium; Seroe Colorado, Aruba; Kensington, London, England; Oxshott/Esher/Leatherhead, Surrey, England; and Den Haag, The Netherlands.

In Charles’ own words, he was working towards an arts degree until he put down his paintbrush and picked up a paring knife. He attributed his fascination with food to the Paris and London cheese shops and markets he visited as a child. At university, he worked for a classically-trained German chef who tutored him in an informal two-year apprenticeship. Charles, with his exceptional culinary skills, was a successful chef, winning multiple awards, for twenty years in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, Montana, Washington, Oregon, Costa Rica, and, Alaska. In 2002, he and his business partner opened their own award-winning restaurant, the Steelhead Grill, in Missoula, MT. While in Missoula, he was also at the forefront of the Farm-to-table movement. Charles spent the rest of his career in the private chef world, working in Montana, Arizona, the Bahamas, Long Island, Manhattan, Rhode Island, and Palm Beach, Florida.

Charles always kept fit and as an avid swimmer, runner, and cyclist competed in half ironman races and triathlons in his 20s and 30s. He loved sports, playing football, lacrosse, tennis, and golf. When he wasn’t playing, he was watching games and cheering on his favorite teams and players. He was a numbers guy who excelled in fantasy football, poker, cribbage, and other card games.

He thought he was an outdoorsman, but his trips usually ended up in disaster like a crazy sitcom. However, he was a successful fisherman whether it was fly fishing in Montana, Central America, or off the coast of Florida.

Charles got the traveling bug early on and enjoyed taking trips abroad and stateside with his wife Heather. He also enjoyed listening to live music, spinning records, and playing guitar.

Charles was fearless, driven, and incredibly resilient; dealing with serious health issues from the time he was 21 years old. He had an outgoing personality, was so incredibly funny, and universally loved. Charles lived life large, loved hard, and didn’t take a single day for granted.

His loss is felt deeply by everyone that knew and loved him.

Surviving are his wife Heather Eilberg, father and step-mother; Lee and Katherine Davidson of South Carolina; sister and brother-in-law Anne and Elton Roberts of Montana, brother Johnny Davidson of Florida; uncle and aunt Robert and Nancy Davidson of Ohio; aunt Barbara Hegler of South Carolina, and many cousins.