Brian A. Avery

EAST PEORIA--Brian A. Avery, 44, formerly of East Peoria, passed away at 8:10 AM on March 5, 2008 in Fruita, CO. Born on May 23, 1963 to Larry and Sharon (Nall) Avery, in Peoria, IL, he married Barbara Kendall on September 2, 2000 in Denver; she survives. Also surviving are his father Larry (Bev) Avery of East Peoria, IL; his sister, Leann (Mitch) Phelps and two nephews, Justin and Nicklaus Phelps, all of Indianapolis, IN. Preceding him in death were his mother Sharon A. Avery; grandparents Roy and Evelyn Avery, and Harry and Elsie Nall; and his Aunt, Betty (Bea) Robertson. Since the age of 10, Brian wanted to study the weather. He also wanted to see the world, so he joined the Air Force after graduating from Washington High School in 1981. Upon completion of basic training in Biloxi, MS, he joined the “Typhoon Chasers” of the Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, at Anderson Air Force Base in Guam. His job as a weather reconnaissance officer was to lower a storm-measuring device, as the WC-130 aircraft hovered around inside the calm of the eye of the storm. The storm chasing took the squad to the Philippines, Mariana Islands, Japan, and Indonesia, among other places. He often said those years were the “apex” of his life. After his assignment in Guam, Brian became an aviation forecaster at Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth, NH. He served eight years in the Air Force, and went on to attend Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, IL. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology, with an emphasis on hydrology. Upon graduation, he began working for the National Weather Service in Columbus, OH. He completing an internship in hydrology with the NWS in Boise, ID, and later began working at the NWS office in Spokane, WA. In 1999, he was appointed as the Hydrology Program Manager for the NWS, located in Grand Junction, CO. He last worked in January of this year. Brian enjoyed short-wave radio, television trivia, playing board games, and traveling. Cremation rites have been accorded, and a memorial service was held in Grand Junction, CO on Tuesday, March 12th. A memorial service will be held at Deiters Funeral Home, East Peoria, IL, on Saturday, March 15th at 11:00 am. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Military rites will be accorded at the funeral home. Inurnment of cremated remains will be at Fondulac Cemetery in East Peoria at a later date.

Brian A. Avery

May 23, 1963 - March 5, 2008