- Date Of Birth: July 7, 1924
- Date Of Death: October 11, 2015
- State: Florida
Doris Odenkirchen Heard, 91, formerly of Beaufort, South Carolina, passed from this life into the next on October 11, 2015 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Theodora Paula Maria Odenkirchen was born July 7, 1924 in Andernach, Germany, the daughter of Apollenaris and Paula Odenkirchen. Her family immigrated to Charleston, South Carolina when she was 8 years old and was enrolled into school almost immediately, with instructions from her mother to learn English, get an education and become an American.
Doris earned a nursing degree at St. Francis Nursing School in Charleston, South Carolina, a Bachelor of Science in nursing at Duke University and a Master of Science in health care sciences at Armstrong State University in Savannah, Georgia. Her career in nursing spanned over 50 years including serving in the U. S. Cadet Nurse Corps in 1944. Near her career’s end, she worked at Beaufort Memorial Hospital and taught nursing at the Technical College of the Lowcountry. Doris was an inspirational mother and teacher. Her love of the Health Sciences and health care encouraged many. Consequently, of her six children, four are in health care; a dentist, a nurse, a physician, and a physical therapist.
Doris had many interests outside of her nursing career. She loved to sing.
Doris was a strong-willed, independent, career woman that did her best to balance family, career, and other interests with endless energy. She will be missed as mother, friend, and an example of hard work and tenacity.
Doris is survived by her six children, seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren: Dr. Harry Heard III, his wife Valerie of Bentonville, Virginia and their son, Chandler; Colonel (USAF Retired) Paula Sherman, her husband Colonel (USAF Retired) Bill of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, their son Philip and her step children Kelley and Brendan; Alex Heard of Beaufort, South Carolina and his two children Alix and Austen; Dr. Carl Heard and his partner Leanne Gullotto of Carson City, Nevada; Julian Heard of Adams Run, South Carolina and his children Amanda and Brunson; Lieutenant Commander (USN Retired) Rachel Benson and her husband Captain (USN Retired) Greg of La Porte, Indiana and her daughter Katie; and great grandchildren Tagan, Ledger, and Felicity. She is also survived by her younger sister, Johanna Killoy of Columbia, South Carolina and sister-in-law Stella Odenkirchen of Raleigh, North Carolina.
She is predeceased by her loving husband of 60 years, Harry H. Heard Jr, her parents, brother Carl Odenkirchen, and granddaughter Morgan Haynes.
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