Esther Marie Showe, 90, of Arnold, died of a stroke Dec. 9 at Johns Hopkins Hospital after a three-day illness.

Mrs. Showe was born Aug. 2, 1914, in Clay Center, Kansas, where she graduated from Clay Center High School in 1928 and the Research General Hospital in 1936 as a registered nurse.

She worked as a private duty nurse in the Kansas City area prior to June 1942, when she enlisted in the Navy.

Upon completion of her training at Great Lakes Naval Training Facility in Illinois, she served with a mobile hospital unit in California. She had tours of duty in New Caledonia, New Zealand, Espirito, Santo, the New Hebrides, Pearl Harbor and Palymra, and achieved the rank of ensign.

A volunteer for the past 40 years, she worked in both the Severna Park High School Health Room and the Arnold Senior Center.

Surviving are her husband, Jean William Showe, whom she married on Feb. 6, 1945; one daughter, Linda Baker of Bowie; three sisters, Alberta Murphy and Leona Carson, both of Minneapolis, Kansas, and Lavone McIntosh of Clay Center, Kansas; two brothers, Ervin and Wilbur Taddiken, both of Clay Center, Kansas; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 7 to 9 p.m. on Monday at Barranco and Sons Severna Park Funeral Home, 495 Ritchie Highway in Severna Park. Graveside services will be held at 10:45 a.m. on Tuesday in Maryland Veterans Cemetery in Crownsville.

Memorial contributions, in lieu of flowers, can be made to American Cancer Society, 1041 Route 3 North, Gambrills, MD 21054. Online condolences can be made at www. barrancofuneralhome.com.

As published in The Capital Newspaper on 12/12/2004.