Elizabeth Avery Wilson, 102, died Friday, August 8, 2014 in Southbury. She was born May 30, 1912 in Syracuse, New York. Her education included a B.A. in English from Syracuse University in 1934, and an M.A. in Nutrition from Teachers College, Columbia University in New York in 1939. In 1940, she received her M.P.H. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA and in 1947, her Ph.D. in Education from the University of Washington in Seattle. Early in her career, Dr. Wilson established herself as an excellent scholar and was recognized by several honorary societies, including Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Delta Omega, the Public Health Honorary and Pi Lambda Theta, the honorary for education. During the early years of her career, Dr. Wilson taught at both the high school and junior college levels. In addition to her teaching, she also held the position of supervisor of health teaching and curriculum development for Onondaga County, New York. During this period she earned a Master's Degree in Nutrition from Columbia University and a Master of Public Health degree from M.I.T. Dr. Wilson was on the staff of the New York State Department of Public Health as a nutritionist. During World War II, (1943-1946), Dr. Wilson served as an officer in the United States Naval Reserve. Following the war, Dr. Wilson accepted an appointment to the faculty of Florida State University as Associate Professor of Health Education. In 1947, she was appointed to the headquarters staff of the American Association of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, now known as AAHPERD. She held the position of the health education consultant until 1958. In this role, Dr. Wilson also held a major responsibility as the National Education Association's staff person for the Joint Committee of the National Education Association and the American Medical Association on Health Problems in Education. The ten year period of Dr. Wilson's tenure was one of the most active and productive for health education in the history of AAHPERD and the Joint Committee (NEA-AMA). Dr. Wilson played a major role in developing and conducting eleven national conferences on school and college health education. These served to establish health education as a professional field of study and led to a rapid increase in the number of institutions of higher education offering programs of specialization in health education. During this period, some of the most important publications of the Joint Committee were issued. These included the fourth edition of Health Education,(1948), School Health Services, (1953) and Health School Living, (1957). Other major publications included The American Association of School Administrator's (AASA) 20th yearbook, Health in the Schools and a nationally recognized sex education series. In each of these activities and publications, Dr. Wilson played a major role as consultant, writer and editor. She was truly a moving force behind these important developments. In addition to her contributions to organizational publications, Dr. Wilson had been a prolific contributor to the literature. She collaborated with her late husband, Dr. Charles C. Wilson, in writing and editing the major textbooks published by the Joint Committee. They also co-authored a health series written for elementary school students, the Health for Young American health series in 1961, published by Bobbs-Merrill Company. Dr. Wilson has held many positions of leadership in national professional organizations. She served for two terms as chair of the School Health Section of the American Public Health Association and also served as a member of the APHA governing council. She served on numerous committees including the governing council of the American School Health Association. She was a member of the Society for Public Health Education and was a life-time member of the National Education Association and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Dr. Wilson retired from the field of health education in 1981, but continued to serve for eleven years as Executive Director of the Connecticut Association of Community Health Service Agencies. This is a statewide organization of about 100 visiting nurse and public health nursing agencies. As the first director of this professional association, Dr. Wilson was involved in building staff, increasing membership, running conferences and meetings, initiating services and producing publications. Dr. Wilson was the founder of Pomperaug Woods, the retirement community that she lived in. She reflected on that achievement in her own words, "Upon retiring in 1981, I became interested in developing a life care community in Southbury, where I lived in a retirement community of 4000 people. Having served on a board of a similar development in New Haven, I was able to form a group, with town support, to sponsor a development. The complex was finally dedicated on October 16, 1988. Happily, I was rewarded for my long efforts as President of the Board by having the auditorium named Wilson Hall." Dr. Wilson is survived by a son, Charles S. Wilson and his wife, Annette M. Wilson of California; a granddaughter, Pamela Askins and a nephew, R. Bruce Avery.

Memorials: Memorial contributions may be made to Pomperaug Woods, 80 Heritage Road, Southbury, CT 06488.

Cemetery: Cemetery Not Applicable

Location: Munson-Lovetere Southbury

Services: A memorial service will be held Thursday, August 28, 2014 at 2: 00 p.m. at Pomperaug Woods, 80 Heritage Road, Southbury, CT.

Visitation: There are no calling hours.