Obituaries

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Jane StraughanPilot, WWII Veteran

Jane Sincell Straughan, 93, a retired Social Security Administration field representative who, during World War II, ferried planes across the country as one of the first members of the Women Air Service Pilots, died March 12 at the Berlin (Md.) Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center. She had myelodysplastic syndrome, a blood disorder.

Mrs. Straughan, a Washington native, was in her early 20s when she learned to fly single-engine planes at Queens Chapel Airport in Hyattsville.

She logged about 200 hours of flight time and belonged to the Ninety-Niners women's pilot organization, whose members were approached at the start of World War II to sign up for a non-combat program to fly military planes. With encouragement from her husband, Al Straughan, who was serving as an Army Air Forces pilot, Mrs. Straughan became one of the program's first trainees.

She served with the Ferrying Division of the Air Transport Command at the New Castle Army Air Base in Wilmington, Del., piloting fighter planes, bombers and transport aircraft in the United States and Canada.

After the war, she worked about three years as an aircraft accident analyst for the Air Safety Division of the Civil Aeronautics Board. She also did some commercial piloting but mainly enjoyed private recreational flying until the late 1970s.

Mrs. Straughan, a graduate of Central High School, worked for the Social Security Administration for about 20 years until 1980.

She lived at Leisure World in Silver Spring for about 20 years and spent her summers on Fenwick Island, Del.

Her husband died in 1981.

Survivors include twin sons, John Wharton "Jack" Straughan of Olney and Charles William "Bill" Straughan of Selbyville, Del.; three grandchildren; and a great-grandson.

Mark L. HolmesHVAC Engineer

Mark Lavelle Holmes, 37, an engineer who installed heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems for new buildings, was killed March 21 at the home of an acquaintance in Fredericksburg.

A Fredericksburg police spokesman said another acquaintance, identified as 48-year-old Benjamin Rivera, pushed Mr. Holmes down a flight of steps during an argument. Rivera was charged with first-degree murder, police said.

Mr. Holmes was a Fredericksburg native and a 1988 graduate of Spotsylvania High School. He served a few months in the Marine Corps in 1989 before beginning his HVAC career in Northern Virginia.

He lived most recently in Fredericksburg, where he did volunteer work for shelters and soup kitchens. He was also known as Pretty Ricky.

Survivors include his wife of 15 years, Daliah Jones Holmes, and their two daughters, Danielle Holmes and Janelle Holmes, all of Fredericksburg; his mother, Mary Perrin of McCormick, S.C.; his father, Herbert L. Holmes Jr. of Ashland, Va.; a brother, James Holmes of Fredericksburg; and seven sisters, Syretta Holmes, Brenda Myers, Bernice Minor and Barbara Todd, all of Fredericksburg, Louise Robinson of McCormick, Lucy Holmes of Abbeville, S.C., and Army Master Sgt. Lorraine Holmes, stationed in Iraq.

Francis G. MonanCIA Officer

Francis G. Monan, 85, a retired Central Intelligence Agency officer, died March 22 of complications of Alzheimer's disease at Sunrise at Mount Vernon, a senior citizen community. He was a longtime Alexandria resident.

Mr. Monan was born in Buffalo and graduated in 1943 from Niagara University, where he was captain of the rifle team that won the 1942 National Collegiate Rifle Team championship. Immediately after graduating, he attended Army Officer Candidate School. He landed on Utah Beach on D-Day and was severely wounded during the battle for Normandy. He received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, among other decorations.

Mr. Monan moved to the District in 1952 to begin working for the CIA. He served in posts around the world, primarily in Asia and Europe, before retiring in 1979 as deputy director of personnel. He was called back to the agency in 1983 and retired again in 1989. He was a recipient of the Distinguished Intelligence Medal.

When Mr. Monan was a young man, he and his father raised bird dogs, including an Irish setter that won the National Field Dog Championship. He remained an outdoorsman in retirement and loved hunting and fishing. He also worked with the Mount Vernon Hospital Auxiliary and was a member of Disabled American Veterans and the Reserve Officers Association.

A son, Francis Monan, died in 1950.

Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Joyce Monan of Alexandria; six children, Timothy Monan of Manassas, William Monan of Alexandria, Mary Sucher of Alexandria, Nancy Toloune of Woodbridge, Margaret Lindsey of Reston and Patrick Monan of Lusby; and nine grandchildren.

Sarah Louise HydeArtist

Sarah Louise Hyde, 59, an artist who taught at the Corcoran School of Art for a decade, died of complications of a brain tumor March 8 at her home in Takoma Park.

Ms. Hyde concentrated on drawing, painting and printmaking in her art and was fascinated by costumed portraits and dancers in motion. Her work was shown in solo shows in Washington and in juried shows.

She was also an instructor and founding member of the Washington Women's Arts Center, which existed from 1975 to 1987. She was founder and director of the Allegheny Learning Center, a Takoma Park preschool, from 1990 to 1998.

From 1990 to 2000, she was on the academic faculty at the Corcoran, teaching courses in art history, criticism and aesthetics.

She was born in Watertown, N.Y., and graduated from DuVal High School in Lanham and from the University of Maryland. She received a master's degree in education from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore., in 1974. She became a member of the graduate faculty at Western Maryland College, now McDaniel College, in Westminster.

Ms. Hyde also pursued graduate studies in fine arts at George Washington University and in Paris. She earned a master's certificate in sculpture and painting from the New York Academy of Art and received a doctorate in fine arts from New York University in 1994.

She taught at the Mary G. Ziegler School in Laurel in the early 1970s and was a project supervisor at the D.C. Children's Center into the early 1980s. She was a consultant to Baltimore city schools and the Alabama School for the Deaf in Talladega.

Survivors include her husband, John Kline of Takoma Park; a daughter, Sophia Kline of Takoma Park; her mother, Sarah Hyde Sr. of Bowie; and four sisters, Patricia Brady of Annapolis, Phyllis Johnson of Jacksonville, Fla., and Jeannette Silloway and Regina Corbett, both of Bowie.

Margaret Borger HannanTeacher, Artist

Margaret Borger Hannan, 90, an educator and artist who was active in several school-related groups, died March 16 of complications of a stroke at Manor Care nursing home in Chevy Chase. She was a former Washington resident.

A native Washingtonian, she was the youngest of 10 children of Mary and John Borger. She graduated from Sacred Heart Academy and received a teaching degree from Wilson Teachers College in the District and a master's degree in library science from Federal City College.

Her teaching career in D.C. public schools spanned more than 30 years and included Bunker Hill Elementary School and Keene Elementary School, where she taught fifth grade. She retired in 1974 and was a recipient of the Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award.

Mrs. Hannan was a member of the Catholic Students Mission Crusade-McNamara Unit, St. Joseph's Home and School for Boys, St. Johns College High School Mothers' Club and the mothers club of Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg. She helped raise thousands of dollars to support schools, a son said.

Believing that travel and experience promote learning, Mrs. Hannan traveled extensively throughout the country with her family and around the world with her husband.

A gifted seamstress, she made most of her clothes and produced award-winning needlepoints. Some of her work was exhibited at Woodlawn Plantation.

Survivors include her husband of 60 years, Denis T. Hannan of Washington; five sons, John Hannan of Beallsville, Stephen Hannan of Columbia, Timothy Hannan of Rockville, Philip Hannan of Forest Glen and Denis Hannan of Sterling; and two grandchildren.

Shee Wong ChowBusiness Owner

Shee Wong Chow, 83, who, with her husband, owned a dry-cleaning and laundry business in Northwest Washington, died of respiratory failure March 20 at Howard University Hospital. She was a District resident.

Mrs. Chow was born in China and grew up in Guangzhou, China. She came to the Washington area in 1947. She was a member of the Chinese Community Church and participated in its weekly Bible studies at the Wah Luck House in Chinatown.

She retired from Vernon Lee Laundry and Drycleaners in 1978.

Her husband, Doo Kew Chow, died in 1979. A son, Vernon Lee Chow, died in 1976.

Survivors include three children, Harry Chow of Silver Spring, Regina Chow McPhie of Great Falls and Jeanette Chow of Rockville; and three grandchildren.