Douglas N. Avery

Douglas N. Avery died peacefully, attended by family, Saturday, April 14, 2018. Born to Edwin and Fannie Avery in Norwalk, OH. He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 65 years, Doris "Jean" Avery (née Meek) and his dear daughter Joy Jean Meeker. Doug is survived by his daughter Gail Keller and husband Dr. Jeffrey Keller and son Ed Avery and wife Laurie. Grandchildren include; Kristany and Gregory Berger, Douglas Avery, Allison and Adam Weber, Jon and Bethany Avery, Harry "Rick" Avery and Jeffry Dorocak. Great grandchildren; Alex, Zachary, Lincoln, Zoey and Lydia.

Burial will be in the family plot at Green Lawn Cemetery immediately following an 11 AM service at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 5475 Brand Rd, Dublin, May 26, 2018. Visitation will begin at 10:30 AM. Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be sent to The Salvation Army in Central Ohio, 966 E. Main St., Columbus, Ohio 43205, www.SalvationArmyCentralOhio.org.

Doug grew up in Norwalk where he sang avocationally in the St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church Choir. He was good enough there that the neighborhood Episcopal church hired him to sing for them. He graduated from Norwalk High School while playing offensive tackle for the Maple Leaf's (now Truckers). While in high school Doug sold men's clothing at JC Penney where he met Mr. Penney who, when visiting the Norwalk store, personally instructed Doug how to measure a gentleman for a suit.

Leaving Norwalk after high school he traveled to Delaware, OH and Ohio Wesleyan. At Wesleyan he enlisted in the NROTC program which began his service in WWII. Basic training was at Great Lakes Naval Station outside Chicago. In addition to training for upcoming duty, Doug again played football for up and coming coach, Paul Brown. Legend has it that in an intra camp game he tackled future Hall of Famer and the Fullback before Jim Brown, Marion Motley.

After re-gaining consciousness from that tackle, Doug served in San Diego CA processing sailors returning from their tour in the Pacific. During that time, he was again star crossed and processed back into civilian life one of the major cinema stars of that time, Jackie Cooper.

Taking advantage of the GI Bill, Doug returned to Ohio to enroll at Bowling Green State University where destiny would lead him to meet Jean, a music major and aspiring singer. As mentioned earlier, Doug fancied himself a talented singer so joined the BGSU choir to which his future wife was the student instructor. He did everything he could to get her attention but with no success. Then Doug's luck turned. After winter break, Jean returned to school while still recovering from serious injuries sustained from a car crash. Apparently, Doug saw her outside the music building struggling to ascend the concrete steps whereupon he sprang into action and assisted her to class (good move Doug.)

After Jean healed and a fairly traditional courtship, on August 17, 1947 Jean and Doug were wed in Akron (Jean's hometown).

After marriage, the couple accepted teaching positions with Findlay High School and moved to Findlay. Doug taught business classes and managed the vocational program with some football coaching, while Jean taught music with piano lessons on the side. Plenty of fun but no celebrities aside from Gail being born with Joy not far behind.

While in Findlay, Doug discovered an instructional job with Ohio State University working in the Adult Education department within the Business School. He took the job, moved Jean and his girls to Columbus and finally put down roots (if you call living in 10 or so different Columbus residences settling). While at Ohio State, Doug also earned a Master's Degree in business.

With his Master's Degree in hand, solid experience in adult education and son Ed now part of the family, an opportunity came calling with the Ohio Association of Insurance Agents where he'd spend his career until retiring in 1980. The association needed an educator director to take adult men from all walks of life and prepare them to take the Ohio Department of Insurance Property and Casualty license exam to become insurance agents. The job evolved from there expanding significantly into legislative lobbying.

Along the way to a successful career as the Executive Vice President of what became The Independent Insurance Agents Association of Ohio and membership in Lloyds of London, there was boating on Lake Erie, the temporary addition of a third daughter from Switzerland, horses in the back yard, lots of puppies and dogs, interstate Airstream trailer excursions with bears in Yellowstone, international trips with Jean and agent friends, epic pre-convention agent parties in their home, trading houses, visits to Norwalk and other family, outrageous extended family Thanksgiving gatherings, and hunting trips on horseback, on foot and in blinds.

After all of that came retirement. When Doug wasn't entertaining grandkids with wild stories, supplying Jolly Ranchers or flipping sour dough pancakes for breakfast after an overnight, there were trips to their home in Naples and spending winters in Phoenix with Jean's sis and best pals Betty and husband Wayne.

As Doug used to say in recent years, "A good time was had by all."

Business Obituary

Served in WWII in the U.S. Navy, Mr. Avery graduated Bowling Green State University with B.S. and Master's Degrees; taught at Findlay High School and as Associate Professor at The Ohio State University. He was CEO of the Ohio Association of Insurance Agents (later IIAAO) and represented the insurance industry before the Ohio State Legislature. Mr. Avery was cited by both the House and Senate in resolutions by Senate President Oliver Ocasek and both Republican and Democrat Speakers Charles Kurfess and Vernal Riffe. Appointed to various insurance industry committees by every Governor from O'Neil to Rhodes. Avery was appointed by President Nixon, nominated by Senator Taft, to the National Highway Safety Advisory Committee. He organized and directed the insurance industry constitutional amendment to change the Ohio Workers Compensation Law. He was a frequent speaker before business groups, an underwriting member of Lloyds, and longtime member of The University Club, The Athletic Club of Columbus and The OSU Faculty Club. Mr. Avery's last major appearance prior to retirement was in London before an industry publishing company.