Obituaries

James C. VorstegNSA Analyst

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James C. Vorsteg, 77, a longtime analyst with the National Security Agency, died Feb. 16 of pulmonary fibrosis at Laurel Regional Hospital. He lived in Laurel.

Mr. Vorsteg spent 33 years with the NSA before retiring in the early 1990s.

He was born in Summit Hill, Pa., and studied for the priesthood at St. Charles Seminary in Philadelphia. After three years of Army service in the 1950s, he returned to his theological studies at St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, where he received a bachelor's degree. He resigned before becoming an ordained priest.

He was a member of St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Laurel, where he was a choir member, lector, catechist and member of the parish council.

He also enjoyed cabinetmaking.

Survivors include his wife of 44 years, Mary Margaret Malloy Vorsteg of Laurel; 10 children, Grace Marie Morrison of Silver Spring, Charles Matthias Vorsteg II of Pasadena, Margaret Ellen Kroll of Richmond, Joseph Daniel Vorsteg of Columbia, Anna Kay Vorsteg of South Berwick, Maine, James G. Vorsteg of Laurel, John B. Vorsteg of Mayo, Patrick E. Vorsteg of Bishopville, Md., Mary Bernadette Saarinen of Laurel and Theresa Rose Vorsteg of Ocean City; a sister; and 24 grandchildren.

Molly PolacoffTeacher

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Molly Polacoff, 97, a retired District elementary school teacher, died Feb. 10 at her Arlington home. She had dementia.

Miss Polacoff taught from 1927 to 1965 at Peabody Elementary School and Francis Scott Key Elementary School but primarily at Hyde Elementary School in Georgetown. She taught first and second grades, sometimes in the same room, and turned down several offers to work in high schools and colleges so she could teach young children to read, her forte.

She was born near Kiev in Russia, where her mother sewed uniforms for the Cossacks. She, three siblings and their mother immigrated to the United States in 1910. The family moved to Arlington in 1911 and operated Finkelstein's grocery story on South Second Street for many years.

Miss Polacoff graduated from Western High School in 1925 and from Wilson Normal School (later Wilson Teachers College) in 1927. She retired from teaching in 1965.

Although she never married or had children, she was close to her six nieces and nephews. She had no other immediate survivors.

Marilyn Smith DicusMetro Spokeswoman

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Marilyn Smith Dicus, 60, who spent 30 years at Metro doing public relations and events planning before retiring in 2000, died Feb. 20 at a hospital in Honolulu. She had inflammatory breast cancer, an aggressive form of the tumor.