Thursday, February 23, 2006
James C. VorstegNSA Analyst
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 PolacoffTeacherMolly 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 SpokeswomanMarilyn 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.
Mrs. Dicus, a former Alexandria resident, joined Metro as it was starting subway construction. She helped organize nearly every groundbreaking and ribbon-cutting ceremony in the system.
When transit officials worried about crowds dealing with then-new Farecard machines at the American bicentennial, she suggested having riders throw money into barrels.
She was born in Los Angeles and raised in Honolulu. She received a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Hawaii and a master's degree in public administration from the University of Southern California.
She settled in the Washington area in 1969 and spent a year as a reporter for the Northern Virginia Sun.
She was a former board member of the Washington Savoyards, a Gilbert and Sullivan light opera company. She also belonged to quilting organizations in Northern Virginia.
She moved to Hawaii in 2000 and did public relations work for the transit authority there.
Her marriage to Robert McGinty ended in divorce.
Survivors include her husband, Howard Dicus of Honolulu, a news personality for WTOP radio; a son from her first marriage, Sean McGinty of Hollywood, Calif.; a daughter from her second marriage, Leina'ala Dicus of Burke; and a brother.
Esther LiebersohnTeacherEsther Liebersohn, 90, a retired teacher, died Feb. 15 at a nursing home in Keene, N.H. She had Alzheimer's disease and had lived in Silver Spring until 2003.
Mrs. Liebersohn was born in Philadelphia and attended Towson Normal School. She taught at public schools in Baltimore and was a member of the League of Women Voters in Silver Spring.
Her husband, Myer Liebersohn, died in 1992.
Survivors include three children, Susan Ginsburg of Keene, Elinore Koenigsfeld of Israel and Harry Liebersohn of Urbana, Ill.; eight grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Richard Ward SeveranceArtist, Property DesignerRichard Ward Severance, 55, an artist, illustrator and corporate property designer for Scott Management Properties, died Jan. 26 of complications of diabetes at Capital Hospice in Arlington. He lived in West Springfield.
Mr. Severance, known as Rick, was born in Pittsburgh. After his parents divorced, he lived with his mother and grandmother, who loved to search for, purchase and restore old houses to their original beauty. They would live in the house during the process, and when complete, sell it at a profit and move on to another one. After the grandmother's death, Mr. Severance and his mother continued this avocation for most of their lives.
He moved to the Washington area and graduated from Wakefield High School. He attended the University of Maryland and began a career in design. He worked with many prominent firms, including Frankie Welch Design of Alexandria, Couture Boutique ( and the now-defunct W&J Sloane furniture store.
He also painted renderings for several well-known designers, including Sarah Boyer Jenkins & Associates in Chevy Chase, where he did renderings for client interiors and charitable functions. He participated in design concepts and set construction for the March of Dimes Gourmet Gala and the American Society of Interior Designers' kitchens. He painted custom items and details for the National Symphony Orchestra's Women's Committee Showhouses. At Hargrove Display, he did conceptual renderings for inaugural parades and political, social and charitable events.
"Rick is a man who pursued his dream with great intensity," said his cousin Brooks Hill. There was nothing he could not draw, paint or build, Hill said. "He just had a knack for that . . . a unique ability."
In his community, he volunteered for many projects, including selecting colonial lamp posts for continuity, supervising ivy plantings for sound walls and keeping the community sign freshly painted.
He also contributed to the design of the new home for his church, St. Raymond of Penafort in Fairfax Station, while serving on the building committee.
He leaves no immediate survivors.
Edwin John SabecNavy Commander
Edwin John Sabec, 77, a retired Navy commander and Fairfax County schools employee, died Jan. 24 of sepsis at Burke Nursing Center in Burke. He was a Fairfax resident.
Cmdr. Sabec was born in Export, Pa., and received a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1948. He received a master's degree in business administration from George Washington University in 1968.
He served in the Navy as a supply officer in the Pacific, stationed on Kwajalein and Midway islands. He retired in 1972.
After his retirement, he joined the Fairfax public schools, retiring in 1994 as director of supply services.
He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Springfield chapter, No. 6153.
Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Patricia Curry Sabec of Fairfax; two sons, Edwin Joseph Sabec of the District and Christopher John Sabec of San Anselmo, Calif.; and two granddaughters.