ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. — Two years ago, we introduced you to Jessie Dunbar, a World War II veteran.
This past weekend, we received sad news that Mrs. Dunbar died just a few weeks before her 101st birthday.
Dunbar served in the United States Navy as a WAVE in the 1940s. WAVE stands for Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service.
She repaired aircraft instruments for the fighter planes.
"You had to take them apart and clean them and put them all together again. The gas, oil, and altimeter. It wasn't very easy at all. But, I became very proficient in it. I knew how to do it well. I taught some officers how to do it," Dunbar explained.
Last July, for her 100th birthday, a parade fit for a queen made its way to her house in Atlantic Beach.
"100 sounds like an awful lot, doesn't it? I am thrilled that the Lord has decided to leave me for a little bit longer. I think hard work is what I really contribute to the fact I'm here," Dunbar said.
This past fall, she was one of nine veterans to be honored at the grand opening of a new movie at the World War II museum in New Orleans on Veterans Day.
In her finals days here on earth, Mrs. Dunbar was full of spirit and joy, even playing a game of cards with her daughter.
If the last name Dunbar sounds familiar to you, Walt Dunbar is her late husband. He was one of the first sports directors for channel 12 in the 1950s. They met in the Navy. He passed away in 1986.
If you would like to pay your respects, a memorial service for Jessie Dunbar will be held Friday, June 16 at 4 p.m. at Neptune Baptist Church in Neptune Beach.