Emily (Allen) Vavra

Emily Allen Vavra August 17,1932 - October 4, 2022
Emily Jene Allen Vavra, age 90, was born to Herbert John and Juanita Fellrath Allen on August 17, 1932, in Beaumont, Texas. Emily was the eldest of three daughters. She passed away on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, at The Neighborhood in Rio Rancho's Supportive Care while under the compassionate care of the skilled nursing staff and Good Samaritan Hospice.

After graduating high school in Houston, Texas, she attended The University of Texas at Austin. She earned her degree in Business Administration in three years. She also worked as a congressional legislative aide at the Texas State Capitol. Emily met her future husband, George Vavra at a college picnic. They were smitten and, after marrying, spent the next 67 years together. George was commissioned as an officer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Emily's life as an Army wife began. After their first child Melinda was born, they moved to Germany. Back in the States, their second child, Curtiss, was born and the family moved on to many other assignments here and abroad. Emily truly had a wanderlust for travel. All in all, she moved her family and households 14 times within 28 years. She turned the ordeal of moving into an exact science and made it look easy. Upon George's military retirement, they moved to Santa Fe, NM. She worked as a tax preparer for many years. Her creative outlet was gourmet cooking and she enjoyed hosting and feeding her friends and family. Emily and George moved to Albuquerque, NM, for their final retirement. She belonged to The Sanado Women's Club, Arte de Cocina, and their book group. She had so many lovely friends within Sanado. Emily was a member of St. Chad's Episcopal Church in Albuquerque. Her later years were spent on family travel and cruises, and serving as a docent at the Albuquerque Art Museum.

Emily was preceded in death by her husband, George Vavra; her parents Herbert and Juanita Allen; and her sisters, Elizabeth Allen Collins, and Margaret Allen Davis.

Emily is survived by her children, Melinda Ann Vavra, Curtiss John Vavra and his husband, Keith Allen Flowers, and many loving nieces and nephews. The family would like to thank the entire staff of The Neighborhood in Rio Rancho for all their competent care and service these past few years.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, October 29, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. at The Neighborhood in Rio Rancho - Haverland Hall, 900 Loma Colorado Blvd NE, Rio Rancho, NM 87124.
Emily and George will be interred together at The National Cemetery in Santa Fe, NM at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to The Albuquerque Art Museum.