Georgia B Gavan

She was born in Chicago, Ill., on July 11, 1919, the daughter of the late Harry W. and Mary Rose (Knox) Bettinghaus. Georgia graduated from Lawrence College in Appleton, Wisc., with a bachelor of arts degree in romance languages, and was married for nearly 69 years to her husband, RADM. John D. Gavan.

From 1942 through 1945, she joined the war effort by serving in Washington, D.C., as an ensign in the U.S. Navy’s WAVE program. It was in Washington that she met her husband, then a Navy lieutenant and fighter pilot. They were married in Wilmette, Ill., on Dec. 28, 1946. After John’s retirement from the Navy and the business community, they traveled the world.

Georgia is survived by her husband, her daughter Barbara Gavan of Jacksonville and her daughter and son-in-law Maureen and David Jobes of Boston, Mass., and Nebo, N.C. She was predeceased by her parents, her brothers Knox and Hunter Bettinghaus, and her youngest daughter Kathleen Knox Gavan.

Arrangements are under the care of Hardage-Giddens Beaches Chapel (904) 249-2374. A memorial Mass will be held on Friday, Aug. 14, at 2 p.m. at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., with Father Edward Shaner officiating.

The family wishes to send special thanks to her caregivers Mary Duren, Anthony Paul Lawson, Alexandra Baysmore, Jean Bloom, Kate Majerle and Christina Smith, to Dr. Louis Akra and his staff, to Teresa Coleman, and to the ER and ICU staffs of Baptist Medical Center – Beaches.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Georgia’s name to the Wounded Warrior Project, K9s For Warriors or the MS Society.