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Willene Day Avera, age 77, a longtime resident of Troy, Alabama, was called to eternal rest Sunday, August 15, 2021, following a brief illness. A funeral service will be held Thursday, August 19, 2021, at 11 a.m. in the chapel of Green Hills Funeral Home with Reverend J.C. Turner officiating. Burial will follow in Green Hills Memorial Cemetery with Bill Gorey, Chuck Caraway, Allen Reeves, Hunter Reeves, Harrison Reeves, and Jason Reeves serving as pallbearers. Mrs. Avera will lie-in-state one hour prior to the service Thursday. Visitation will be Wednesday, August 18, 2021, from 5 – 7 p.m. at Green Hills Funeral Home. The family requests that for their safety and that of the community, masks be worn while in attendance for services.

Mrs. Avera was a familiar face around the area having served with the Alabama Department of Human Resources as a social worker for 28 years and as a dutiful support to her husband’s ministry throughout Pike County. When he was called to serve as lead pastor with a church in Georgia following her retirement, she found her new downtime cumbersome and enrolled with the Dooley County, Georgia Department of Human Resources as a social worker for another 11 years. Mrs. Avera’s most important occupation was as a pastor’s wife, mother, and Gran. Her calling to serve shone through in her daily life, with an outpouring of selfless love extended to all she encountered, especially her family.

Mrs. Avera is survived by her husband of 56 years, Reverend Ralph E. Avera; daughters, Jennifer Avera and Judith Armstead (Mike); grandson, Michael Edward Armstead, Jr.; mother, Willie Dell Day; sisters, Jean Gorey (Bill), Myrlene Caraway (Chuck), and Robbin Reeves (Allen); and numerous beloved nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father, Robert Richard Day.

The family wishes to extend heartfelt thanks to the staffs of Luverne Health and Rehabilitation and Southern Health for their wonderful care. In addition to flowers, memorial contributions may be made in honor to the American Cancer Society (1100 Ireland Way, Birmingham, AL 35207). Friends and family can sign the guestbook online at www.greenhillsfuneralhome.net. The staff of Green Hills Funeral Home is honored to serve the Avera family.