Frank E. Avery, Jr.'s Obituary
Frank Eugene Avery, Jr., 86, North Ft. Myers, Fl., passed away after a brief yet courageous battle with cancer on Dec 31st, 2010.?á He was born in Brunswick, Maine, the son of Frank E. and Lottie Tibbetts Avery and graduated from Deering High School in Portland, Maine in 1942. Frank enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1942; upon his graduation from the Southeast Training Command, he was assigned to the Flying Tigers (China Air Defense / 14th Air Force).?á Frank served until 1946 flying missions against the Japanese in P-40?ÇÖs, P-47?ÇÖs, and P-51?ÇÖs. During his time in the China combat theater, Frank registered three air combat victories and crash landed after running out of fuel on one particular mission. Upon his return from the war, he attended college art school, and architectural and engineering school before starting his own construction company.?á Frank owned and operated Avery Foundation and Construction Company in Windham, Maine until the early 1980?ÇÖs when he joined De Matteis Arabia, LTD as a project manager for the construction on the new foreign consulate compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.?á After his retirement in the late 1980?ÇÖs, Frank and his wife, Deborah, split time between homes in Maine and Florida.?á Frank always kept busy with renovation projects, woodworking, building model schooners and reading, but always took time to meet his buddies for breakfast, chat with neighbors and bake cookies and cakes for his grandchildren. Frank was predeceased by his wife Deborah Jean Davis Avery in 2003 and daughter Caren-Jo Fickett in1985.?áHe is survived by a daughter Sharmon Toner of Windham, ME, a son Mark of Sebago Lake, ME, a son Peter of Ontario, Canada, 2 stepsons: Henri Brady, Windham, ME, George Brady, Summerville, SC., a stepdaughter Jennifer Shank, Winnebago, Il., and 13 grandchildren. A memorial service will be held in Windham, ME at a later date and internment will be in Smith Cemetery in Windham, ME. Memorials in his name may be directed to the American Cancer Society ?á 1 Bowdoin Mill Island, Ste 300?á Topsham, ME 04086?á 800-227-2345 or to the 2011 Relay For Life team ?ÇÿWindham Eagle Cancer Fighters?ÇÖ.?á For more information regarding the Windham Eagle Cancer Fighters Relay For Life team please e-mail [email protected]. Arrangements are being handled by Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home.
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