Gilbert ‘Gil’ Stiles Avery III

Born:  19 May 1931  -  Mason City, Iowa

Parents:   Gilbert Stiles Avery Jr.  -  Susan Elizabeth White

Grandparents: Gilbert Stiles Avery Sr.  -  Minnie Haberle

I am very pleased to profile Gilbert ‘Gil’ Avery as most of you met Gil at either the Michigan Family Reunion in 2002 or the New York Family Reunion in 2004.  Gil opened both reunions with a special prayer honoring the occasion and paying tribute to our ancestors.   Gil married Laura Maverick Graves on December 21, 1956 in San Antonio, Texas.  They have two children, Mark Stiles Avery - 1958 and Elizabeth Melanie (Avery) Radke - 1959.   Gil and Laura now have 9 grandchildren.  Jonathan Stiles Avery 1982; Seth Michael Avery 1984; Jordan Paul Avery 1986; Ana-Leigh Avery 1988; Joanna Grace Avery1996; Caroline Elizabeth Avery 1997; Sophie Christine Avery 2001; Tyler Maverick Radke 1991; and Emily Elizabeth Radke 1993.

Gil and his sister Susan grew up in San Antonio, Texas where their father owned and operated the ‘Avery’s Café’ and in 1950 he bought a Valvoline Oil Distributorship which is still operated by Gil’s sister and her family.  This background leads us to the principal of this profile, Gilbert (Gil) Stiles Avery III.  He attended public school in San Antonio graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1948.  Gil attended Southern Methodist University from 1948-1952.  He graduated from SMU with a BBA in Corporation Finance.  He attended Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts for three years where he received his Masters in Sacred Theology (MST) in 1955

Returning to San Antonio, Gil became Curate on the staff of St. Marks Episcopal Church where he was ordained, first as a Deacon, then as a Priest in 1955.  It was during this time he met Laura who was also on staff before she left in the fall to study at the Union Theological Seminary in New York City.   Gil and Laura would marry in December 1956.

In 1957 Gil and Laura moved to New York City where Gil joined the staff of St. Augustine’s Chapel on the Lower East Side Mission of Trinity Parish.  The large staff of youth workers, priests and nuns worked the streets, tenements and public housing projects  -  targeting youth, particularly those involved in gang warfare.  The turf of the Sportsmen (predominately African-American) and the Dragons (predominately Puerto Rican) intersected at the location of the church.  Gil’s work was to bring peace and conciliation amongst the youth, while responding to the larger community issues of justice and racial equality. 

During their three years in New York, their two children were born, Mark and Elizabeth.  In the fall of 1960, Gil accepted an offer to become the Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church, a racially integrated inner-city parish set in the midst of three large public housing projects in Boston’s predominantly black community.  In 1961 Gil joined other Episcopal clergy to engage in a “freedom ride” in Mississippi.  Entering the Greyhound Bus Station in Jackson, Mississippi, Gil and the other clergy were arrested and held in the Hinds County Jail for five days after being charged and convicted for disturbing the peace.  The conviction was later appealed and, ultimately, overturned. 

In 1963 Gil along with over 250,000 other citizens, went to the March on Washington where he was privileged to demonstrate and to see and hear in person the “I Have a Dream” speech of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr..   Earlier, Gil had met and marched with Dr. King in Boston as part of a local community effort to desegregate Boston’s public schools.  

In 1964, Gil returned to Mississippi as part of Freedom Summer, a project to register and support black voters.  Just prior to his leaving, 3 men assisting with black voter registration were found murdered.  For a month Gil and other workers canvassed neighborhoods for potential voters, accompanied them to the Courthouse where they attempted to  register (for the most part unsuccessfully).  Gil commented that the “….gracious welcome given to us outside workers and the bravery of those desperately poor black residents willing to risk attempting to register to vote, was humbling and astonishing  -  the experience was powerful and life-changing.” 

In 1966 Gil accepted the position as Executive Director of Episcopal City Mission (ECM) which responded to the needs of the poor and disenfranchised people within the metropolitan Boston area.  For 15 years, Gil led ECM and during that time they assisted community groups in poor neighborhoods to develop, build and manage more than 2,000 affordable housing units.   During this same period, ECM also converted its old fashioned boarding house for 20+ elderly residents into a $3 million, 147 unit high-rise apartment building for elderly residents.  The building contained space on the first level for a range of community services: a library, community kitchen and dining space.

Then in 1981 Gil accepted a position as Executive Director of Episcopal Community Services (ECS) in Philadelphia where he served for 10 years until his retirement in 1991.  ECS had a staff of 375 members.  The program included a 107 bed Geriatric Rehabilitation Hospital, 30 skilled Nursing beds, and a 122 unit Retirement Residence for independent living, all devoted to serving vulnerable families and children. 

Gil ‘retired’ in 1991 and he and his wife Laura moved to Eugene Oregon to be close to their children and grandchildren that all lived on the West Coast.  Gil commented that “…..it took me a little time to adjust to being retired...you know  -  about 10 minutes.”  But as I read Gil’s profile, it strikes me that the 10 minutes he refers to was about the length of time he stayed retired.  While in Oregon, Gil soon became involved in working with the HIV Alliance and local AIDS service organizations.   He also became a volunteer in various Emotional Support Groups and soon became the President of their Board.  He also serves as Treasurer of the church he attends, the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection. 

Recently, Gil joined the newly formed Board of Directors of a nonprofit agency, Aprovecho Research Lab in Creswell, Oregon.  Gil points out that there are over 3 billion impoverished people throughout the world that depend on burning wood in inefficient open fires to cook and to keep warm.  This situation leads to deforestation and the release of greenhouse gasses adding to the significant problems of global warming throughout the world.  Plus the particles released by wood burning causes dangerous health hazards for adults and children leading to devastating personal health issues.

Aprovecho has designed an inexpensive “rocket stove” which is quite efficient, by burning much less wood while delivering maximum heat for cooking and warmth.  The stove releases virtually no greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere and unhealthy particles are effectively burned off thereby helping to protect the health of millions of families.  Aprovecho works with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and with a grant from the Shell Foundation, Aprovecho is embarked on projects to build 9 million stoves in different locations in the world, including, India, Brazil, China and Africa.  We certainly wish Gil and Aprovecho great success in this endeavor.

It certainly is impressive to see how much one person can contribute to so many, and I am very pleased to share his story with all of Gil’s extended family.  I am sure of one thing, when it is Gil’s time to meet his Maker, God will personally call Saint Peter at the Front Gate to let him know that ‘someone very special is on his way up’.

Proudly submitted:

Bill F. Avery

Avery Family Historian

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