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. …

• Photos (1)

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…

• Photos (1)

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, …

•  3 Comments
• Photos (2)

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, …

•  12 Comments
• Photos (4)

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

• Photos (4)

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 …

• Photos (1)

Reston Piano Teacher June McDonnell, 80

Memorial service on Thursday, Aug. 4.

June Laurel McDonnell, 80, a longtime Reston piano teacher, died July 29 at Renissance Gardens in Springfield. Mrs. McDonnell was was born Sept. 17, 1930 in North Wildwood, NJ. She was  preceded in death by her husband, James A. McDonnell, Jr. (MAJ.USAF-Ret.) and her son, James J. McDonnell. She was the mother of Cheryl (Gary Golembiewski) McDonnell of Reston; Michael (Carol) McDonnell of Reston; and Kevin (Diane Almarode) McDonnell of Spotsylvania, VA. Loving mother-in-law of Sandra McDonnell and sister of Joseph Henry and grandmother of Behvin, Cassie, Jay, Jessica, Meghan, Alex; and of Robert, Jennifer and Michael. Mrs. McDonnell earned a BA and MA in music. A piano teacher for over 50 years, she fanned the spark of musical talent in …

• Photos (1)

Community Mourns Death Of Young Hockey Player

Saturday Services planned for 12-year-old Flint Hill Elementary graduate Evan Soggin

At 12 years old, Evan Soggin had already made a name for himself in the local hockey community as a fast ball of energy with a versatility that gave him big-league potential. But he also boasted a list of other accomplishments that looked like it would someday run pages long: He was a hockey star, a budding equestrian, a thespian, a musician, a scholar of Tae Kwan Do, a recent graduate of Flint Hill Elementary School headed for middle school at Thoreau. A jokester who didn't do things quite the normal way but had an uncanny ability to make tears roll down friends' cheeks as their bellies ached with laughter. Above all those things, friends and family say, it is Soggin's smile, loyalty, humor, compassion, spirituality beyond his years and "…

•  17 Comments
• Photos (15)

Hale A. Ament

Historian, Influential Reston Volunteer

Hale A. Ament died June 24 at her home in Reston at the age of 71. She had breast cancer.  Mrs. Ament made a significant impact on the Reston community, both through her volunteer work with Greater Reston Arts Center, developing art programs for the elementary school students in Reston, and with her work on the Reston Street Lighting Advisory Committee.  The Reston Citizens Association named her Restonian of the Year in 1992. Mrs. Ament was a historian from 1983 to 2009 at the Sully Historic Site in Chantilly. In addition, she was an active member of the American Association of University Women (Reston-Herndon branch), including serving as cultural affairs chairwoman since 2009. Mrs. Ament was born in Rhode Island and attended the College …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)