Arlene Avera

 Norma Arlene (Green) Avera, 89, of Richland (formerly of Albany), Georgia passed away peacefully on March 5th, 2021. A lifelong resident of Georgia, Arlene was born on August 5th, 1931, to John E. and Georgia (Brewer) Green in Lumber City.  Her family later moved to Pelham where she  graduated from Pelham High School in 1949 as Salutatorian and was also voted "Most Likely to Succeed." She married and began raising a family and ultimately had to dedicate herself to raising her three sons and a daughter as a single parent.  She became a professional cosmetologist and owned a salon in Pelham, GA for a number of years.  She later worked in Camilla, then relocated to Albany where she continued to practice with a loyal following of clients for many years.  After retiring from her cosmetology practice due to health reasons, Arlene worked in real estate and retail sales in the Albany area while helping to provide care for her elderly parents. In addition to her considerable skills as a cosmetologist, Arlene was a very talented artist who loved painting with oil on canvas.  She created a number of works that are treasured by family and also painted a number of professional portraits.  She worked on set design for the Little Theater in Albany, and also designed the reindeer that "pulled" Santa's sleigh for many years in Pelham's annual Christmas parade.  Arlene loved to write poetry and enjoyed growing her collection of writing pens in her later years. She became immersed in the study of astrology and was quite adept at reading charts and liberally shared her perceptions and guidance with others (sometimes to the chagrin of the recipient). She was a beauty with a great intellect, a wicked sense of humor and a gentle touch.  She liked to cook, and worked miracles feeding her four always-hungry kids with sometimes meager means.  She enjoyed baking and was fairly handy -- often out of necessity. She would have fit in well in this age of DIYers. Some of her favorite getaways were trips to the beach and Callaway Gardens. Arlene experienced considerable loss in her lifetime.  She was predeceased by her parents and lost the youngest two of her siblings, Oliver and Martha Jane Green before her 10th year.  Her older sister and brother, Mary Lou Thomas (Harry) and Eason Green (Marie) passed too soon in their early forties. She also lost two of her grandsons, Jonathan (JD) Avera and Jeremiah Cothran at very young ages. She is survived by her three sons, Jimmy (Vittoria), Dave (Terry), and Jerald (Faye) Avera and her daughter, Susan Watson (Bruce), and seven grandchildren: Jamie, Jason, Kiley (Kristin), Keri (Patty Gallegos) and Jennifer Avera, Leslie Solarek (Greg), and Jonah Watson.  She also leaves behind nine great grandchildren and six great-great grandchildren along with many nieces and nephews. Arlene experienced more than her share of challenges and struggles in her life, but she was a fighter who more than anything valued and loved her family.   We will miss her greatly, but find comfort in knowing she is at peace and will be reunited with beloved family who passed over before her. A small graveside service will be held at Pinecrest Memory Gardens (Route 19, Pelham, GA) on Wednesday, March 10th at 2:00 p.m. with an hour of visitation starting beforehand at 1:00 p.m. The Reverend Nathan Fowler will officiate. We welcome family and friends to attend and ask that they kindly practice current safety guidelines for face masks and physical distancing. For those who cannot attend, the service will be streamed on Willis-Jamerson-Braswell Funeral Homes Facebook page. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you honor Arlene's memory by contributing to the charity, Feeding America, or a charity of your choice. Willis-Jamerson-Braswell Funeral Home, Pelham