Doris Mears Pugh
April 1, 1922 ~ April 22, 2020
Doris Mears Pugh, 98, of Great Falls, Virginia passed away on April 22nd 2020. She was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Rear Admiral William Marr Pugh; and her beloved sister Jean Mears Diver. She is survived by her daughter Diane Gay and husband Bill of Bethany Beach, DE; son Bill Pugh and wife Elisabeth of Great Falls, VA; daughter Dana Fredericksen and husband Scott of Great Falls, VA; 9 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.
She met her husband Bill in 1941 on a blind date after he saw her picture and invited her to a dance at the Naval Academy. After a short courtship she took the train from her home in Wilmington, DE to Key West, FL where they married in 1942, before he was deployed for 3 years of submarine combat patrols in the Pacific. Upon his return, they continued to enjoy military life, relocating many times in the US and overseas to England and Spain, until his retirement in 1974.
Doris loved to entertain. Some of her family’s fondest memories of her are big holidays dinners with lots of family, friends, food and laughter. Christmas Eve dinners always included Christmas crackers (a tradition from her years while living in England) with Doris and family all wearing their paper crowns. She kept her sense of humor and dry wit until the very end.
Doris enjoyed traveling, was a talented artist and always up for a game of golf or bridge with her husband and friends. She loved to swim, wearing her fancy swim cap in spite of teasing from her grandchildren; and instilled her love of the beach and ocean with her family. In her last few years she especially enjoyed the simple pleasure of sitting outside in the warm sunlight.
A burial service will be held at Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, June 4, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC or to a favorite charity.
She met her husband Bill in 1941 on a blind date after he saw her picture and invited her to a dance at the Naval Academy. After a short courtship she took the train from her home in Wilmington, DE to Key West, FL where they married in 1942, before he was deployed for 3 years of submarine combat patrols in the Pacific. Upon his return, they continued to enjoy military life, relocating many times in the US and overseas to England and Spain, until his retirement in 1974.
Doris loved to entertain. Some of her family’s fondest memories of her are big holidays dinners with lots of family, friends, food and laughter. Christmas Eve dinners always included Christmas crackers (a tradition from her years while living in England) with Doris and family all wearing their paper crowns. She kept her sense of humor and dry wit until the very end.
Doris enjoyed traveling, was a talented artist and always up for a game of golf or bridge with her husband and friends. She loved to swim, wearing her fancy swim cap in spite of teasing from her grandchildren; and instilled her love of the beach and ocean with her family. In her last few years she especially enjoyed the simple pleasure of sitting outside in the warm sunlight.
A burial service will be held at Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, June 4, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC or to a favorite charity.
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