Doris Rae Kershner's Obituary
On Wednesday, February 11, 2015, after a short illness, Doris “Blondie” Rae Kershner, died peacefully at Washington Hospital Center surrounded by her loving family. Doris was an active 90 at the time of her death.
Doris was a resident of Annapolis, Maryland, since 2010, although she was born in Cripple Creek, Colorado on September 2, 1924 to Erma Homes Garberich and Roy R. Garberich. A Westerner through and through, Doris was raised in Arizona, where she graduated from Prescott High in 1942. A Jacqueline of all trades, Doris tried her hand a varied occupations, including, nanny, clerical associate, or “girl Friday,” and clearance officer at the Prescott airport, where she learned to fly. And into the arms of her long-awaited Wyoming cowboy she flew on December 16, 1945, where they were hitched in Monrovia, California at the end of WWII.
Doris and Morris “Doc” Kershner maintained the family-owned cattle ranch in Wyoming, where they tended not only to animals, but also to a new family. Son, Steven, was followed by daughter, Cynthia, rapidly fulfilling Doris’s bucket list. Both Doris and Doc were active participants in the State and National Grange as officers. After living on the ranch for 29 years, the family moved to Denver, Colorado in 1974. Doris and Doc purchased a truck and became owner/operators for a trucking company, where Doris became an overland truck driver. The following year, after Doc’s death, Doris continued work at the trucking company, where her husband had managed the fleet.
Doris became a grandmother in 1974 when son Steven and wife Sheri had Chad. She enjoyed being an involved grandmom, and it was her pleasure to spend time with Chad on a regular basis. In fact, it was while with Chad at a Broncos game that the both joined the elite group of Bronco MVPs after being named such (along with 4000 other crazy – ahem – diehard fans) for sticking out a particularly frigid game in the snow. Luckily, the Broncos won, or there may have been a different ending to this vignette.
Not one to rest on her laurels, in 1992, Doris retired (for the first time) and moved across the country to Kent Island, Maryland to try her hand at Eastern Shore living. After joining daughter Cindi on the East Coast, Doris began yet another chapter in her already full life. She served as the President of the Kent Island Federation of Arts and reprised her role as a well-loved 4-H leader, which she had been in Wyoming for many years. Maryland recognized her 40 years of service to that organization in 1999. In 2005, Doris accepted a job with Dr. Rachel Howland, M.D., as a part-time office manager in Centreville, Maryland. Doris moved from Kent Island to Annapolis in 2010, while continuing her work at the doctor’s office, until retiring once again, at 90.
Until suffering a heart attack just one week before her passing, Doris maintained an active and fulfilling life. For such a long and varied life, there were few things that Doris disliked: such as horses (whom she never trusted), piglets, cottage cheese (though her homemade cottage cheese was the best ever), and eggs for breakfast. Most of all, Doris loathed spiders, and actually wrecked two cars because of those critters. Doris enjoyed far more. She loved her family and friends, all children, her beloved Snoopy, travel, the Broncos, good steak, decorating (delicious) cakes, collecting White House Christmas ornaments, the Chesapeake Bay, and most of all, the vast expanses of her native West.
Doris is survived by her son Steven, her daughter Cynthia Gibson (husband Robert), her grandson Chad, siblings JoAnn and Ray, and dozens of nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Morris Kershner and her sisters Charlotte and Erma.
A celebration of life will be held at Lasting Tributes Cremation and Funeral Care, 814 Bestgate
Road Annapolis, MD 21401 on Friday, March 6, 2015 between the hours of 4 and 6 pm. A time of shared memories will take place at 5 pm.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorial donations be made to your favorite youth program i.e. the 4-H foundation, junior sailing foundation or program or church camp.
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