Evelyn Dise
November 6, 1923 ~ May 29, 2019
Evelyn Cora Ailman was born November 6, 1923 in Douglas, Wyoming to Harry Boyer Ailman and Ellen Cora (Ashland) Ailman. The family eventually moved to Long Beach, CA where Evelyn graduated from Long Beach HS in 1941. She attended Long Beach City College and worked as a secretary at Douglas Aircraft, now Boeing. While dating with a young man she met his friend, a dashing young naval officer named Robert Dise, it was love at first sight and her heart was his. Evelyn Cora Ailman became Evelyn Ailman Dise on September 1, 1947.
As a Navy wife she learned that collaborating with the Navy was better than resisting so she dove right in, raising five children while her husband was at sea or war and moving to a new duty station about every two years. Always the volunteer and support to her husband’s command obligations, Evelyn assumed leadership roles in Navy, church, and community-service organizations wherever the family moved. She would join, and shortly thereafter lead, organizations ranging from garden clubs, scouting organizations, church councils, Navy wives' support bodies, and care institutions such as the National Lutheran Home.
In every way the leader and organizer Evelyn gave herself wholly to whatever organization she was involved in, whether service or hobby. Among her contributions and accomplishments are Committee member and chair of various committees, and Board of Trustees member of the National Lutheran Home (now The Village at Rockville) in Rockville, MD; longstanding member of Five Hills Garden Club in Vienna, VA; volunteer at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, volunteer at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, Vienna, VA; District chairman of the National Capital Area Federation of Garden Clubs; member of the Navy Officers Wives Club; active member of the Old Dominion Chrysanthemum Society; and the American Hosta Society and its local chapter, the Potomac Hosta Club.
Among her recognitions and accomplishments are;
· Navy–Marine Corps Relief Society for 50 years and 10,000 hours of knitting and sewing for the Layette Division
· Outstanding Member of the Year by the Garden Clubs of the Metropolitan D.C. Area
· With her husband Bob, 2009 recipients of the Old Dominion Chrysanthemum Society’s "Nels and Ginny Johnson Award for Outstanding Service"
Living in northern Virginia for over 40 years since her husband’s retirement from the Navy, Evelyn was very active in church committees and organizations, as well as Boy Scout committees and activities through her husband, for which she received many accolades, awards and recognition for her dedicated service. As a member of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, it’s hard to recall a position Evelyn didn’t fill, or a task or event for which she didn’t volunteer. Whether the Altar Guild, VBS, women's associations and the like.
Evelyn loved to be outdoors. Weekends would find her weeding the yard, planting flowers, hostas, and, oh yes, chrysanthemums. She enjoyed long drives with her husband, to visit family in Charlottesville, VA, Cedar Falls, IA, or her husband’s hometown of Glen Rock, PA, exploring new restaurants and stopping to see shops and sites along the way.
Everyone who knows Evelyn, knows she collected things…lots of things, but she also surrounded herself with friends, and family, and was a giver of memories. We will all miss her.
Evelyn’s husband of 67 years, Robert, died November 18, 2014. She is survived by four children, Robert Jr. and his wife Jenifer, David, Carol Lewis and her husband Steve, and Jeffrey and his wife Debra, as well as six grandchildren Aaron Dise, Sara Housewright and her husband Jason, Hannah Critzer and her husband Geoff, Elise Flanders, Jonathan Flanders, and Ian Flanders, and even further, nine greatgrandchildren Emma, Juliet, Phoebe, Kahana and William Dise, and Fiona, Elya and Liam Housewright and Louise Critzer.
Persons interested in remembering Evelyn in a tangible way are encouraged to make a donation to either:
- The National Chrysanthemum Society at https://www.mums.org/donate/
- Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church at https://www.fairfaxchristlutheran.org/donate/
As a Navy wife she learned that collaborating with the Navy was better than resisting so she dove right in, raising five children while her husband was at sea or war and moving to a new duty station about every two years. Always the volunteer and support to her husband’s command obligations, Evelyn assumed leadership roles in Navy, church, and community-service organizations wherever the family moved. She would join, and shortly thereafter lead, organizations ranging from garden clubs, scouting organizations, church councils, Navy wives' support bodies, and care institutions such as the National Lutheran Home.
In every way the leader and organizer Evelyn gave herself wholly to whatever organization she was involved in, whether service or hobby. Among her contributions and accomplishments are Committee member and chair of various committees, and Board of Trustees member of the National Lutheran Home (now The Village at Rockville) in Rockville, MD; longstanding member of Five Hills Garden Club in Vienna, VA; volunteer at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, volunteer at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, Vienna, VA; District chairman of the National Capital Area Federation of Garden Clubs; member of the Navy Officers Wives Club; active member of the Old Dominion Chrysanthemum Society; and the American Hosta Society and its local chapter, the Potomac Hosta Club.
Among her recognitions and accomplishments are;
· Navy–Marine Corps Relief Society for 50 years and 10,000 hours of knitting and sewing for the Layette Division
· Outstanding Member of the Year by the Garden Clubs of the Metropolitan D.C. Area
· With her husband Bob, 2009 recipients of the Old Dominion Chrysanthemum Society’s "Nels and Ginny Johnson Award for Outstanding Service"
Living in northern Virginia for over 40 years since her husband’s retirement from the Navy, Evelyn was very active in church committees and organizations, as well as Boy Scout committees and activities through her husband, for which she received many accolades, awards and recognition for her dedicated service. As a member of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, it’s hard to recall a position Evelyn didn’t fill, or a task or event for which she didn’t volunteer. Whether the Altar Guild, VBS, women's associations and the like.
Evelyn loved to be outdoors. Weekends would find her weeding the yard, planting flowers, hostas, and, oh yes, chrysanthemums. She enjoyed long drives with her husband, to visit family in Charlottesville, VA, Cedar Falls, IA, or her husband’s hometown of Glen Rock, PA, exploring new restaurants and stopping to see shops and sites along the way.
Everyone who knows Evelyn, knows she collected things…lots of things, but she also surrounded herself with friends, and family, and was a giver of memories. We will all miss her.
Evelyn’s husband of 67 years, Robert, died November 18, 2014. She is survived by four children, Robert Jr. and his wife Jenifer, David, Carol Lewis and her husband Steve, and Jeffrey and his wife Debra, as well as six grandchildren Aaron Dise, Sara Housewright and her husband Jason, Hannah Critzer and her husband Geoff, Elise Flanders, Jonathan Flanders, and Ian Flanders, and even further, nine greatgrandchildren Emma, Juliet, Phoebe, Kahana and William Dise, and Fiona, Elya and Liam Housewright and Louise Critzer.
Persons interested in remembering Evelyn in a tangible way are encouraged to make a donation to either:
- The National Chrysanthemum Society at https://www.mums.org/donate/
- Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church at https://www.fairfaxchristlutheran.org/donate/
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