Doris Finney Liebrecht passed away on October 26, 2005.  She was born on April 18, 1917, in Bethlehem, PA and was the youngest of five children.  Doris was the daughter of a Navy Captain and lived at various military installations until she went away to college.  Doris was a World War II veteran who was the Officer in Charge of the Geodetic Library, U.S. Naval Hydrographic Office in Suitland, Maryland.  While working at the U.S. Naval Hydrographic Office she met the love of her life – Lawrence Clifford Liebrecht. They were married in June 1951. She was married to Lawrence for over 51 years until his death on March 17, 2003.

Doris enjoyed life to its fullest.  During her life she lovingly raised six children. Doris loved children, education, and the National Parks. That was evident in the many trips that she went on with her husband and children to visit various National and State Parks.  Those trips included several visits to many of North Carolina’s lighthouses, including Cape Hatteras, Bodie Island, Ocracoke, Cape Lookout, Oak Island, Old Baldy, and Currituck Beach.  She climbed many of these lighthouses – even climbing the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse one day short of her 87th birthday.  During her life Doris did genealogical research on the Finney and Liebrecht families.  While doing some genealogical research she came across the fact that she was related to Henry Dearborn, builder of the original Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, and Abbie Burgess, the renowned Maine lighthouse keeper. 

While dealing with the effects of cancer during her last year of life, she took several trips, including visits to North Carolina, Washington state, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. She didn't let her illness stop her from doing one of the things which she truly loved ...traveling.   She made every trip an educational experience as she always made sure that she and whomever traveled with her learned historical information about the area being visited.  She will be missed by all who knew her.

By daughters Paula and Lauren Liebrecht, avid lighthouse volunteers