A recitation of the rosary will be at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 7, 2011, followed by a Mass of Christian burial at noon in Holy Rosary Catholic Church, 375 N.E. Clackamas St., Portland. Committal service with military honors will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, in Willamette National Cemetery. Honora Josephine Higuera was the first of two daughters born to Celia and Joseph Higuera in El Centro, Calif., her sister, Marie, followed two years later. Honora graduated from public grade and high school in Calexico, Calif., which was home for her first 21 years. She then attended St. Mary's College for Women in Los Angeles for two years. She was employed by the Imperial County Irrigation District for two years before enlisting in the U.S. Navy in November 1951. After completing boot camp at Bainbridge, Md., she was awarded Honor Wave of her company. She was then assigned to Navy Teleman School for 16 weeks at Norfolk, Va., and from there to a two-year assignment at Naval Communication Station Boston, where she met her future husband, and fellow sailor, Curtis Dahl. Curtis and Honora married March 14, 1953, in St. Vincent's Church, Boston. She was honorably discharged in July 1953 and upon her husband's discharge in November 1954 they moved to Lake Oswego. From that time forward, with the exception of a four-year employment related move to Columbus, Miss., in 1983, she was a resident of Lake Oswego. Honora was a homemaker and mother to sons Michael, Anthony and Peter. In addition to maintaining a home and raising three sons, this energetic and devoted woman found the time and made the effort to complete her college education. She graduated from Marylhurst University in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts. From 1970 through her retirement in 1980, she was employed in administrative work at Lewis & Clark College and four U.S. governmental agencies. Her hobbies and interests included travel, photography, piano, gardening, reading, stamp collecting and U.S. military history. She was a member of Holy Rosary Catholic Church; American Society Military Engineers; Lake Oswego Chapter American Association of University Women; Waves National; and the Marine Corps Association. Honora was preceded in death by her son, Anthony, in 1997. She is survived by her husband, Curtis; sons, Michael and Peter; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Remembrances may be placed with Holy Rosary Catholic Church or a charity of choice. Arrangements entrusted to Zeller Chapel of the Roses Funeral Directors, 503-287-1155, www.zellerchapeloftheroses.com.

Published in The Oregonian on February 4, 2011