Doris "Dee" Lovie Avery's Obituary
Dee Avery of Kailua, born and raised in Durham, North Carolina, passed on to her maker in Heaven peacefully and quietly at her daughter’s home in Kailua in the presence of her husband, Alden, daughter Alexandra, son Mark and son in law Vern. Dee had been hospitalized with pneumonia and was under Hospice Hawaii care when she passed. Dee was 95. Dee is remembered for her lifelong fostering of kindness, healing and personal awareness. Beginning her professional life as a Psychiatric Nurse, Dee graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 1942. In 1944, along with other classmates, Dee volunteered for the USAAF, requesting Flight Nurse duty. After flight training at Bowman Field in Kentucky, Dee served with the Southwest Pacific Command, first to Guadalcanal and then to New Guinea, the Dutch East Indies and the Philippines. Dee flew over 800 hours of hazardous flight duty in enemy occupied territory, and many more air evacuation missions. This service earned her commendations and the
Air Medal. On Feb 5, 2010, Dee was honored at a reception at Hickam Air Force Base, and presented with a medallion by General Gary North for her World War II service. Dee met her husband USAF Col. Alden Avery during that time, flying air evacuation missions in the South Pacific. Dee was released from active duty in 1945 and married Alden in 1946. In 1952 Dee, with two very young daughters, came to
Hawaii to join Alden, who was serving during the Korean War. Hawaii then became their lifelong residence.
Dee designed their Kailua home where they raised their three children. She studied Japanese Ikebana and Bonsai and created a Japanese meditation garden. These 60 year old bonsai ironwood trees and original cement stoneware are still maintained at 42 Palione Place. Dee volunteered for many years. Among her favorite services were with the American Red Cross and at St. Francis Rehab Hospital, where she worked with troubled and suicidal teenagers. In 1999, Dee, along with three lifelong friends of her
Johns Hopkins class, established a scholarship fund at John Hopkins School of Nursing. Named after their moniker, the Friendly Foursome Scholarship Fund, continues to sponsor nursing students and was a source of great joy to Dee, who survived the others in the Friendly Foursome. A wing at Johns Hopkins has been named after them. Donations in memory of Dee and the Friendly Foursome can be made to Johns Hopkins School of Nursing (800 548-1268) or http://nursing.jhu.edu/giving. Click on “online giving”
and select the scholarship fund “Friendly Foursome” Dee is survived by her husband Alden, her daughters: Ann (Kirk Havens) and Alexandra (Vern Hinsvark), her son, Mark (Diane Avery), and grandchildren: Tasha, Aaron and Joshua. Service to be held at the National Memorial Cemetery
at Punchbowl on July 16, 2013 at 11:30 AM.
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