Longtime Market Vendor Dies After Car Crash

Shannon Donley, 48, operated Fertile Plains Meats at Reston, Herndon and other area farmers markets.

Shannon Clark Donley, a longtime vendor at the Reston Farmers Market and other local markets,  died on may 3 following a car accident near Leesburg. Donley, 48, of Shepherdstown, WV, operated Fertile Plains Meats. He had been a vendor at the Reston Farmers Market, which operates Saturdays at Lake Anne, for nine years. He recently also opened a stand at the Wednesday Smart Market in Reston. Donley was a seventh-generation farmer, according to an obituary in the Martinsburg (WV) Journal-News. He was also a certified lay speaker at Bethesda United Methodist Church at Molers Crossroads, WV, and a parishioner of New Street United Methodist Church in Shepherdstown. Donley was a member and Past Master of Mt. Nebo Lodge No. 91 A.F. & A.M., member …

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Diane Blust

5:48 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012

All - I'd like to focus on the incredible work done day in and day out (nights, too) by the farmers who ferry their goods to the markets in Northern Virginia. They provide us with an alternative to industrial agriculture. They provide an incredible boost to our local economies. There may very well come a time when they are our only alternative to industrial agriculture - because of increasing …   more ›

Remembering 'Mr. Baseball'

Fred Crabtree, 96, was an icon in local little league, county park authority

He was one of a kind. A mover and a shaker, a dedicated volunteer and public servant with the ability to get things done, a family man and friend of young athletes, and most of all, a really nice guy that all of us are going to miss. We lost former Park Authority Board member Fred Crabtree on Sunday, March 11. At age 96 he left the game and is now remembered fondly as “Mr. Baseball.” He left behind a legacy of love and accomplishment. He was the loving husband of the late Ann Ruth Crabtree and father of Joyce Cockrille and Frederick “Rick” Crabtree, Jr. He is also survived by his two sisters, Gaynell and Joan and six grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren. Those were his immediate family members, but …

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Bill Bouie

10:57 pm on Monday, March 19, 2012

John, Thanks for your kind words. I have enjoyed working with you to make it better for our kids for a lot of years. You have got to be very proud that Pat and Jeff have come all the way back and are giving back to Little League. I will always remember you saying that you have to be " more than a Dad with a bag". That became my mantra. Take care and thanks again.   more ›

Longtime Reston Volunteer Marion Meader, 83

Services for GRACE founding member will be Saturday.

Longtime Reston volunteer Marion Meader died of lung cancer and pneumonia on Jan. 2 at age 83. Mrs. Meader was an active volunteer involved at St. Anne's Episcopal Church, Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE),  Reston Interfaith and the Reston Historical Trust and Museum. She also was involved in the Reston Garden Club, League of Woman Voters and FISH. She was born in Jersey City, NJ. and  graduated from  Henry Snyder High School, and later, as an adult, earned a BA in English from the State University of New York (SUNY). Mrs. Meader first worked for Myron C. Taylor, past CEO of the U.S. Steel Corp. and President Franklin Roosevelt's representative to the Vatican, according to an obituary on Legacy.com. She then moved to Radio Free Europe. …

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John Paul Lawrence Dies at 86

Reston resident was the considered the "mayor" of Sport & Health.

Longtime Reston resident John Paul Lawrence passed away on Dec. 28, 2011. He was born in Elizabeth, NJ on May 24, 1925. During WWII, John served on the Navy troop transport ship, U.S.S Lejeune, as a medic for five years. He spent the majority of his adulthood working for Dominion Resources. John loved adventure and regaled friends with stories about his colorful life. He was happiest spending time with friends and family. He was considered the "Mayor" of Reston Sports & Health, welcoming newcomers into the fold. He enjoyed his monthly geezers group.He had a wry sense of humor and always a warm greeting. He loved the water spending time in his kayak, boat or swimming in Lake Audubon. He loved animals, reading, travel, and living life to the…

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Former FCPS School Board Member Belter Dies

Cathy Belter represented Springfield District, and also was president of the Virginia PTA from 1985 - 87.

Reston's Donna Miller Thibault, 69

Accountant, "Best of Reston" winner died in Florida Dec. 24.

Donna Miller Thibault, past president and current treasurer of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce's Board of Directors and a 2004 "Best of Reston" winner, died of cancer in Naples, Fla., on Dec. 24. Mrs. Miller Thibault was born on July 31, 1942 in Washington, DC, the daughter of William and Angela Miller. She received her undergraduate degree in accounting, as well as an MBA, from the University of Maryland. She was a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Investment Planner in Virginia. Mrs. Miller Thibault's professional career included 25 years of federal service as director of Investigative Support at both the IRS and the General Services Administration. Mark Ingrao, president of CEO of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, …

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Reston Interfaith Mourns Former Chair Bolton

Vade Bolton, 72, died Monday. He was key to organization's efforts for more than 30 years.

Longtime Reston Interfaith volunteer Vade Bolton, 72, of Reston died Monday, Dec. 26 of complications following surgery last week. Mr. Bolton, along with his wife Janet, was a key volunteer in the community for more than three decades. Some of his contributions included service on the Board of Directors of Reston Interfaith for nearly 10 years as a representative of Congregation Beth Emeth and chairman of the Board of Reston Interfaith from 2006-2008 (FY07-FY09), leading the organization during a time of significant growth and visibility, said Reston Interfaith CEO Kerrie Wilson. " Vade was a tireless advocate for housing and the care for people who are homeless and the most vulnerable in our community," said Wilson. "While on the board, …

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Christopher Walker, Developer

One Dulles Corridor among Walker's properties.

Christopher Walker, a real estate developer responsible for many of Reston's office buildings, died on Aug. 31 after a prolonged struggle with multiple myeloma. Walker was the president and founder of Reston's Walker and Company. Penzance acquired a portion of Walker's portfolio in 2007.   He is survived by wife, Helen, daughter Ellen, son-in-law Benoist, and son Evan. A memorial service is planned for 10 a.m., Sunday, Sept. 18 at the Meeting House of Sidwell Friends School,  3825 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the: Walker Family Fund Experiment in International Living P.O. Box 676 1 Kipling Road Brattleboro, VT 05302

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Past RA President Thomas Hartnett, 83

Longtime Reston resident served many roles in the community.

Former Reston Association president Tom Hartnett, 83, died July 26 at Reston Hospital, of respiratory failure. He also had Guillian-Barre Syndrome. Hartnett was born in Seattle, Wash. He served in the U.S. Navy after high school and graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A in English.   He served as the chairman of the IRS Commissioner's Art Advisory Panel, from 1968 until his retirement in 1983.  Hartnett moved to Reston in 1968. Among his many volunteer positions:  Board Member of the Reston Community Center; director and president of the Reston Association; and as a member of Useful Services Exchange. In retirement, Hartnett participated in Learning in Retirement, later called the Osher Life-Long Learning Institute, where …

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