Sunday, January 8, 2006
Jesse Wood Jr.Navy Pilot
Jesse Wood Jr., 83, a retired Navy captain and aviator and civilian real estate manager for the Army, died Dec. 13 at his home in Springfield after a heart attack.
Capt. Wood flew photo reconnaissance for the atomic bomb experiments at Bikini Atoll in 1946, flying the plane that went nearest the first explosion, nicknamed "Able." The work earned him an Air Medal. He later flew conventional and jet fighters, bombers, helicopters, transports and anti-submarine warfare planes.
He was born in Fairmont, W.Va., and joined the Navy during World War II. He served mostly aboard a torpedo squadron replacement unit on an escort aircraft carrier. After the atomic bomb experiments, he left the Navy and graduated from Northwestern University.
Capt. Wood volunteered to return to service during the Korean War and stayed in the Navy until 1969, when he retired. He arrived in Alexandria in 1964 in command of Naval Personnel Programs Support Activity at the Navy Yard.
In 1970, he became a real estate agent and manager for Routh Robbins real estate brokerage in Vienna and taught classes of new agents.
In 1975, he took the job of chief of the Army's real estate acquisition branch at Fort Bliss, Tex., where he was responsible for managing 1.5 million acres and 5,600 buildings and structures. He retired again in 1984, remaining in El Paso until 1995, when he moved to Southern Pines, N.C., and later to Alexandria.
Capt. Wood was a member of the Retired Officers Association, Tailhook Association, the Order of Daedalians, the Ancient and Secret Order of Quiet Birdmen, the National Rifle Association and the Elks.
Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Virginia Wood of Springfield; two children, David Wood of Coronado, Calif., and Sally Vaquero of Alexandria; and two grandsons.
Minnie Brown BarrettHomemakerMinnie Brown Barrett, 94, a Warrenton native who worked several part-time jobs but mostly was a homemaker, died Dec. 25 at her home in Fairfax Station. She had heart disease and dementia.
Mrs. Barrett enjoyed shopping and playing bingo.
Her husband, Preston W. Barrett, died in 1973.
Survivors include three children, Bill Barrett of Alpharetta, Ga., Linda Koslin of Fairfax Station and John Barrett of Walsenburg, Colo.; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Francis Eugene SturwoldCIA AnalystFrancis Eugene Sturwold, 76, an analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency, died Dec. 24 of liver cancer at Capital Hospice in Arlington. He lived in the District.
Mr. Sturwold was born in Connersville, Ind., and served in the Air Force in the early 1950s. After graduating from Indiana University, where he studied Slavic languages, he moved to Washington in 1953 and worked in federal intelligence operations.
He joined the CIA in 1961 and analyzed developments in Eastern Europe. He also served as a CIA staff inspector. He retired in 1986 and, the following year, received the agency's Intelligence Medal.
He enjoyed woodworking.
His marriage to Virginia Ganzon Sturwold ended in divorce.
There are no immediate survivors.
Charles 'Gus' BochanisArmy Worker, Community LeaderCharles "Gus" Bochanis, 82, a munitions specialist with the Army Department and a leader in Washington's Greek community, died Jan. 2 of pneumonia at Casey House hospice in Rockville. He lived in Bethesda.
Mr. Bochanis was born in Bridgeport, Conn., and served in the Army during World War II. He participated in the D-Day landings in 1944. Later that year, he lost his left leg in battle in the Netherlands. He received the Bronze Star and two awards of the Purple Heart.
After recovering from his wounds at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Mr. Bochanis settled in the Washington area. He worked briefly for the Interior Department before becoming a civilian employee with the Army about 1950. He worked at the Pentagon, helping supply small arms and ammunition to Army personnel. He retired in 1982.
Mr. Bochanis devoted much of his time to activities surrounding his church, St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Washington. He was parish council president and held other positions of leadership. He was instrumental in the cathedral's fundraising and its annual spring and fall festivals. For years, he dressed as Santa Claus for Christmas celebrations at the cathedral.
For his service to the cathedral, he was awarded the title of Archon Depoutatos of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
He was also a past president of the Washington chapter of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association and was a former commander of American Legion Post 38 in Washington.
Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Mary Fliakas Bochanis of Bethesda; a daughter, Diane Cerniglia of Oakton; and a grandson.
Albert L. 'Kamau' RobinsonEducatorAlbert L. "Kamau" Robinson, 50, the principal of Roots Activity Learning Center in the District, died Dec. 31 at Washington Hospital Center of complications of severe hypertension.
Mr. Robinson was born in Rock Hill, S.C., and moved with his family to the District when he was in the third grade. He was a 1975 graduate of Calvin Coolidge High School and a 1984 history graduate of the University of the District of Columbia.
He did his student teaching at Coolidge before joining Roots Activity Learning Center, an Afrocentric private school in the District, in 1985. Beginning in the middle school, he eventually taught in all of the school's divisions. He became principal in 1999.
During his tenure, Roots students achieved some of the highest standardized reading and math test scores in the city.
Mr. Robinson believed in lifelong learning and loved to read, teach and travel. He participated in heritage tours and fact-finding missions to Africa, and in recent years, he took trips to South America to learn about indigenous peoples of the rain forest.
Survivors include his mother and stepfather, Carrie and Lucian Johnson of the District; three sisters, Janice R. Hunt and Vivian L. Robinson, both of the District, and Rosemary Robinson of New York City; and two brothers, T. Steven Robinson and Roderick N. Robinson, both of the District.
Andrew H. KirkpatrickDentistAndrew H. Kirkpatrick, 80, a retired Bethesda dentist who served as an Army infantryman during World War II, died Dec. 24 at a nursing care facility in Hilton Head, S.C., of complications after several strokes.
Dr. Kirkpatrick was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and raised in Ridgewood, N.J., and Chevy Chase.
He graduated from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School and joined the Army during World War II. Sent to Europe as part of a light mortar team with the 106th Infantry Division, he arrived in St. Vith, Belgium, five days before the German attack that began the Battle of the Bulge. His unit helped delay the German offensive before being overrun and cut off.
He was awarded the Purple Heart for frostbite wounds but declined to accept the medal because he didn't think his injuries were severe enough to warrant the award, said his son, Edward W. Kirkpatrick.
After the war, Dr. Kirkpatrick graduated from George Washington University and received a degree in dentistry from Georgetown University.
He opened a dental practice in Kensington in the mid-1950s. When that office was damaged by fire, he started his Bethesda practice in the mid-1960s. Dr. Kirkpatrick retired in 1984 after a debilitating stroke.
He and his wife, Elizabeth, moved from Bethesda to Hilton Head in 1992. She died in 2004.
In addition to his son, of Dickerson, survivors include four daughters, Susan K. Burch of Lawrenceville, Ga., Mary Beth Diehl of Winter Springs, Fla., Clare K. Ashby of Bluffton, S.C., and Judy Kirkpatrick of Cincinnati; and eight grandchildren.
Steven Joseph OffenbacherSoftware Systems EngineerSteven Joseph Offenbacher, 45, a software systems engineer who for the past year worked for Northrop Grumman at its offices in Linthicum, died Jan. 1 at Howard County General Hospital after a heart attack.
Before joining Northrop Grumman, Mr. Offenbacher worked at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory for about five years.
Mr. Offenbacher, who lived in Ellicott City, was born in Washington and raised in Camp Springs. He was a graduate of Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville and the University of Maryland.
In 1999, he received a master's degree in computer science from Johns Hopkins University.
Over the years, Mr. Offenbacher participated in church choirs, most recently in the Alleluias Choir at Bethany United Methodist Church in Ellicott City.
He also enjoyed home improvement projects, classic car restoration, music and various activities of his children, including scouting and sports.
Survivors include his wife of 13 years, Laura Offenbacher, and their four children: Kaili, Tyler, Daniel and Susannah Offenbacher, all of Ellicott City; his parents, Joseph and Dorothy Offenbacher of Mt. Airy; and a sister, Kathryn Grace Offenbacher of Ellicott City.
Vincent Joseph KlausArmy Colonel, Financial OfficerVincent Joseph Klaus, 81, a retired Army colonel and chief financial officer for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, died Jan. 1 from injuries sustained in a fall at his home in Arlington.
Col. Klaus was born in Chicago and joined the Army during World War II, serving in the hospital corps. After the war, he graduated from the University of Minnesota and then was recalled to service. He served in Korea and Vietnam as a comptroller. He received a master's degree in business administration from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1958 and graduated from the Army Command and General Staff College in 1961. He retired from active duty in 1980. Among his awards was the Defense Distinguished Service Medal.
He joined the pharmaceutical organization and rose to the top financial position by the time of his retirement in 1995.
Col. Klaus was a member of the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington and the Third Order of St. Francis, a religious service group.
His first wife, Virginia Klaus, died in 1982.
Survivors include his wife of 10 years, Mae Elliott of Arlington; five children from his first marriage, Naomi Klaus and Andrea Bender, both of Arlington, retired Navy Cmdr. Robert Klaus of Amissville, Va., Marine Corps Lt. Col. Nicholas Klaus of Alexandria and Army Staff Sgt. Geoffrey Klaus of Fort Richardson, Alaska; two stepchildren, Brenda Elliott of Falls Church and Bradley Elliott of Houston; and nine grandchildren.
Lillian B. O'HoraNurse, HomemakerLillian B. O'Hora, 85, a registered nurse who worked for 20 years on the obstetrics and gynecological ward at Prince George's Medical Center, died of cancer Jan. 2 at her home in Hyattsville.
Mrs. O'Hora was born in Winterville, N.C., and came to the Washington area in 1939 to attend nurse's training school at the old Gallinger Hospital. During her training, she worked on a tuberculosis ward. She earned her registered nurse degree in 1942 and during World War II worked as a nurse for the Boys Club of Washington. She was a full-time homemaker while raising her children, then returned to the workplace for 20 years.
She had been a member of the Villa Heights Thimble Club for more than 20 years and a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church of Landover Hills since 1973. An avid gardener, she was an expert in gardenias and orchids and shared cuttings, seeds and figs from her trees. She also enjoyed cooking southern foods.
Her husband, Alexander M. O'Hora, died in 1984.
Survivors include four children, Andrew J. O'Hora III and Nance Nichols, both of College Park, Michael O'Hora of Takoma Park and Dr. Patricia A. O'Hora of Edgewater; a sister; four grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.
Thomas A. ClowerAuto Parts ManagerThomas A. Clower, 70, who worked 38 years for the Anacostia Chrysler-Plymouth dealership before retiring in 1993 as the auto parts manager, died Jan. 3 at his home in Owings. He had diabetes.
Mr. Clower was born in Takoma Park and raised in College Park. He graduated from Northwestern High School in Hyattsville. He was a member of Smithville United Methodist Church in Dunkirk.
His hobbies included powerboating on the Chesapeake Bay, fishing and playing cards.
Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Inas N. Clower of Owings; two daughters, Donna Evans of Burke and Diana Wallace of Lusby; two sons, Michael Clower of Waldorf and Scott Clower of Santa Rosa, Calif.; a brother, Hugh Clower of Chesapeake Beach; a sister, Patricia Moon of Easton, Md.; and six grandchildren.