Eric Davidson

John "Eric" Davidson (May 10, 1915—September 9, 2009) was a Canadian mechanic who was one of the last survivors of the Halifax Explosion. He was two years old when he was blinded by the Halifax Explosion on December 6, 1917. At the time of his death in 2009, Davidson was the penultimate living survivor with permanent injuries from the Halifax Explosion, which killed more than 1,600 people. where he studied music. Davidson also provided first person accounts of the disaster to several books and publications, including The Survivors: The Children of the Halifax Explosion and Shattered City: The Halifax Explosion and the Road to Recovery. “The Blind Mechanic” written by Eric’s daughter Marilyn Davidson Elliott chronicles his life paying tribute to him as a survivor, a father and a champion of courage.

Davidson, who lived in the city's north end, was employed by the City of Halifax as a mechanic until his retirement in 1980.

According to Janet Kitz, author of the book Shattered City: The Halifax Explosion and the Road to Recovery which chronicles the disaster, Davidson's death left just one living survivor still receiving a pension for long-term injuries sustained in the explosion.

Davidson resided in Berwick for the last few years of his life. He died on September 9, 2009, at Grand View Manor in Berwick, Nova Scotia, at the age of 94. His funeral was held at the United Memorial Church in Halifax.