Sunday, February 10, 2008
Clyde C. BallPublic Affairs Manager
Clyde C. Ball, 86, a writer and editor for the Associated Press for 16 years who later worked as a public affairs manager with the Maritime Administration, died Jan. 28 at the Johnson Center at Falcons Landing, of complications of a hip fracture.
Mr. Ball, a Navy lieutenant in World War II and former public relations representative for the Philco-Ford Corp., came to Washington in 1970. He worked with the Interior and Commerce departments, the Federal Energy Administration and the Maritime Administration, from which he retired in 1986.
He was born in Jeffrey, W.Va., and attended Marshall University on a journalism scholarship. During World War II, he enrolled in the Navy's V-7 training program at Columbia University in 1943 and received a commission as an ensign. In 1943, he also received a bachelor's degree from Marshall and by the fall was assigned to additional training at the Coco Solo Naval Base in the Panama Canal Zone.
Mr. Ball was awarded a Purple Heart. He was cited by the secretary of the Navy and the president of the Philippines for "outstanding heroism in action against enemy Japanese forces in the Manila Bay area" while serving as navigator aboard the minesweeper YMS-6 in February 1945.
After the war, he worked with the AP in Huntington, W.Va., before transferring to Philadelphia in 1960. Three years later, he joined Philco-Ford and was the company's public relations representative when it worked with NASA on the Apollo moon landings. He was working at a company display at the New York World Fair in the late 1960s when he met and had lunch with Walt Disney, who designed an animated film for the display.
Mr. Ball was a lifetime member of the Poetry Society of Virginia and the National Association of Science Writers. He also was a longtime member and former vestryman at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Purcellville.
Mr. Ball, a longtime Northern Virginia resident, moved with his wife to Falcons Landing in Sterling in 1997.
Survivors include his wife of nearly 60 years, Mary E. "Bette" Ball of Sterling; two daughters, Christina Ball of Sterling and Marianna Ball Funk of Lansdowne; and two grandchildren.
-- Yvonne Shinhoster Lamb
Adrian English CharlesAdministrative Assistant
Adrian English Charles, 86, a retired administrative assistant with several federal agencies, died of complications of diabetes Feb. 3 at the Wilson Health Care Center of Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg.
Mrs. Charles came to Washington in 1943 and worked at the Lend-Lease Administration and later as a proofreader for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She also worked as an administrative assistant with the former Department of Health, Education and Welfare and the National Institute of Mental Health. She retired in 1974.
Mrs. Charles was born in Bonner Springs, Kan., and was a graduate of Emporia State University. She taught in a one-room schoolhouse in Kansas before moving to Washington.
She was a former member of Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, where she sang in the choir. She later joined the North Bethesda United Methodist Church, where she was in the choir and women's groups. She was a member of the Freedom Hill chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
In the early 1950s, Mrs. Charles was injured in a bus accident in Pennsylvania and spent six months recovering in an orthopedic hospital. Her injuries affected her ability to walk.
She lived in Kensington from 1955 to 2002 and enjoyed reading, knitting and cooking.
Survivors include her husband of 52 years, Frederick W. Charles of Gaithersburg; two children, Laurie Meadows of Richmond and Brian Charles of Bethesda; two brothers; and one grandson.
-- Matt Schudel
Mary Belle Morris DalzielTeacher, Military Wife
Mary Belle Morris Dalziel, 88, a school teacher and military wife, died Feb. 4 at Montgomery Village Health Care Center in Montgomery Village. She had Alzheimer's disease.
Mrs. Dalziel, a resident of Montgomery Village for 35 years, was a substitute teacher at Francis Scott Key Middle School in Rockville and Springbrook High School in Silver Spring. Previously, in Newfoundland, she taught dependents of military personnel the high school-level U.S. history that they would need to graduate when they returned to the United States.
She was born in Chapman, Kan., and graduated from Kansas State University. She married an officer in the Army Air Forces and accompanied him on his assignments around the United States and the world. In addition to Newfoundland, she also lived overseas in London.
Mrs. Dalziel was a member of the Air Force Wives Club and volunteered for its scholarship programs and children's holiday programs at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. She enjoyed gardening, bird-watching and her book club.
Survivors include her husband of 64 years, retired Air Force Col. George T. Dalziel, and her son, Ted Dalziel Jr., both of Montgomery Village.
-- Patricia Sullivan
Frank Roger DesiderioGSA Design Chief
Frank Roger Desiderio, 90, a former chief of design services for the General Services Administration, died Feb. 6 at his home in Vienna of complications from a fall.
Mr. Desiderio worked for the GSA from 1954 until he retired in 1979. A native of Philadelphia, he moved to Washington during the Depression and helped support his family as a carpenter. He used his carpentry skills to help renovate the Government Printing Office and built his family's home in Camp Springs and a beach cottage in Bethany Beach, Del.
During World War II, he enlisted in the Army. First assigned to guard government facilities in Washington, he later was sent to Europe, where he fought in the Battle of Metz and rose to the rank of staff sergeant.
After the war, he returned to Washington and was a foreman with the Matthew McCloskey Construction Co. When he joined the GSA, he managed construction projects in some of the buildings he had guarded when he was first in the Army.
He retired in 1979 as the GSA's chief of design services and moved to Englewood, Fla. For the next 15 years, he played the piano and accordion, painted and volunteered at his church. He returned to the Washington area in 1998 and lived in Vienna.
His wife of 61 years, Mary Prencipe Desiderio, died in 2003.
Survivors include four children, Mary Moriarty of Albany, N.Y., Rita Sargis of Vienna, the Rev. Frank Desiderio of Los Angeles and Matt Desiderio of Philadelphia; two sisters; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
-- Patricia Sullivan
Thomas P.H. 'Harry' DunlopForeign Service Officer
Thomas P.H. "Harry" Dunlop, 73, who served 33 years in the U.S. Foreign Service and was a country director for Romania and South Korea, died Feb. 1 at his home in Alexandria. He had coronary artery disease.
Mr. Dunlop retired in 1993 as director of the East Asia Pacific/Korea office. His overseas postings as a political officer included Yugoslavia, Vietnam and Korea, and in Washington he was detailed to the Defense Department and the Office of the Director of Central Intelligence.
Thomas Perrin Harrison Dunlop was born in Washington and raised in Asheville, N.C. He was a 1956 cum laude international affairs graduate of Yale University and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
He spent a year in Berlin as a Fulbright scholar and was an Air Force intelligence officer in France and Germany before joining the State Department.
In retirement, he monitored civil rights abuses in Yugoslavia for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and participated in reviewing State Department documents for declassification.
He received a master's degree in linguistics from George Mason University in 1996 and spent a few years teaching English as a second language at Lado International College in Rosslyn.
He had been separated for 15 years from his wife of 39 years, the Rev. Betty Preston Dunlop, a United Methodist minister. She lives in Edgewater.
Survivors also include three children, Navy Lt. Preston Dunlop of San Diego, Alexander Dunlop of Washington and Angela Dunlop of Fairfax County.
-- Adam Bernstein
Constance Herreshoff GordonCollege Lecturer
Constance Herreshoff Gordon, 68, who lectured and conducted research at Trinity College and the University of Maryland, died of congestive heart failure Jan. 31 at Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park. She had lived in Silver Spring for 38 years.
Dr. Gordon taught education classes at Trinity from 1985 to 1990 and at U-Md. for the next decade. She wrote or co-wrote more than 30 papers, most on teaching methods for science and math.
She was born in Santa Rosa, Calif., and graduated from the University of California at Berkeley. She received a master's degree in elementary education from Boston University in 1969 and a doctorate in educational administration from U-Md. in 1983.
She taught elementary school in Montgomery County during the 1970s, first at East Silver Spring Elementary and later at Takoma Park Elementary. She went on to positions in research at U-Md. before teaching at the university level.
Dr. Gordon was a volunteer for Montgomery County's ombudsman program, helping residents at Fox Chase nursing home. She was an AARP volunteer, a graduate of Senior Leadership Montgomery and a member of Northwood Presbyterian Church in Silver Spring.
She enjoyed traveling, gardening and her book group, of which she had been a member for 35 years.
Her husband of 33 years, Glen Gordon, died in 1992.
Survivors include two children, Karl Gordon of Lothian and Christine Gordon of Bowie; a brother, James B. Herreshoff of Greenbelt; and two grandchildren.
-- Patricia Sullivan
Bernice GutmannMedia Buyer
Bernice Gutmann, 90, a media buyer for an advertising company, died of pneumonia Feb. 5 at her home in Riderwood Village in Silver Spring.
Mrs. Gutmann moved to the Washington area about 23 years ago. She worked for the Earle Palmer Brown advertising agency for about eight years, until retiring in 1992. She had previously worked in the same capacity for another company in New York.
She was born in New York and graduated from Hunter College. In retirement, she enjoyed playing bridge.
Her husband, Harold Gutmann, died in 1956.
Survivors include a son, Peter Gutmann of Chevy Chase, and two grandsons.
-- Patricia Sullivan
Randall Arnold Hoffmann Jr.Economist
Randall Arnold Hoffmann Jr., 79, a retired economist with the U.S. Agency for International Development, died Feb. 4 at his home in Olney of cancer.
Dr. Hoffmann was born in Dickens, Iowa. He received a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics in 1950, a master's in economics in 1951 and a doctorate in economics in 1960, all from Iowa State University.
He was an Air Force officer from 1951 to 1954, serving for a year in Korea.
From 1962 to 1976, he was an agricultural economist at Iowa State University, with assignments in Argentina, Mexico, Panama and Peru. Still affiliated with the university, he was a project leader with the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture in Jakarta from 1981 to 1984.
He joined the U.S. Agency for International Development in 1986, working as an economist with the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development. He retired in 1995.
His marriage to Nia Hoffmann ended in divorce.
Survivors include his wife of 22 years, Martha Hoffmann of Olney; two sons from his first marriage, Shane Hoffmann of Key West, Fla., and Wiley Hoffmann of Winthrop, Wash.; three children from his second marriage, Michele Hoffmann, Andrea Hoffmann and Randall Arnold Hoffmann III, all of Olney; two brothers; and five grandchildren.
-- Joe Holley
Henry J. JuenemannNIH Computer Official
Henry Joseph Juenemann, 81, who retired from the National Institutes of Health in 1984 as assistant director of the Division of Computer Research and Technology, died Jan. 22 at the Hospice of Volusia/Flagler in Port Orange, Fla. He had prostate cancer.
Mr. Juenemann joined NIH in 1961 after 11 years with the Air Force as a civilian employee working on mathematical modeling and computation of war plans.
A native of Washington, Mr. Juenemann was a 1944 graduate of Gonzaga College High School and a 1949 mathematics graduate of Georgetown University. He was an Army veteran of World War II.
He was a former president of the Potomac Valley League, a coalition of civic associations, and the Glen Echo Heights Citizens Association.
The Montgomery County Council appointed him to an advanced wastewater treatment committee and to a development advisory board.
He enjoyed camping, canoeing and backpacking and was active in conservation and preservation.
In recent years, he spent winters in Ormond Beach, Fla., and summers in Union Bridge, Md.
His marriage to Mary Julia Curley Juenemann ended in divorce. His second wife, Dorothy King Juenemann, died in 2001.
Survivors include four children from his first marriage, Henry J. "Joe" Juenemann Jr. of Bay Head, N.J., David C. Juenemann of Santa Cruz, Calif., and John L. Juenemann and Anne E. Moore, both of Washington; and six grandchildren.
-- Adam Bernstein
Ramona E. PainterHomemaker, Church Member
Ramona E. Painter, 79, a church member and homemaker, died of pulmonary fibrosis Feb. 4 at her home in Burke.
Mrs. Painter was a member of St. Stephen's United Methodist Church of Burke and the Woman's Club of Springfield.
She was born in East Brady, Pa., and moved to the Washington area 35 years ago. She enjoyed playing bridge.
Survivors include her husband, James A. Painter of Burke; three children, Sherry Painter of Galveston, Tex., Doug Painter of Las Cruces, N.M., and Stephanie Minor of Lorton; two brothers; and two grandchildren.
-- Patricia Sullivan
Thornton "Doc" SafferPortfolio Manager
Thornton "Doc" Saffer, 69, who retired as a portfolio manager with the investment management firm Loomis, Sayles & Co. in 2002, died of pancreatic cancer Jan. 16 at his home in The Plains.
Mr. Saffer, a native of Middleburg, wrote a story about growing up in his home town called "It was Mostly Fun," a title that his family said could also be his life story. He wrote the memoir for his children, and it was later published as a fundraiser for a local community center.
The Middleburg Players turned it into a rollicking musical production, which was performed twice in 1998 and again last summer. Mr. Saffer had a cameo in the first show.
Mr. Saffer, who was known in the community as Doc, graduated from Staunton Military Academy, where he was a Prep All-American swimmer. He was awarded a swim scholarship to American University, where he received a bachelor's degree in business administration. While serving in the Army in the late 1950s, he was selected for the military Olympic swim team and was a medal winner.
He established the initial investment trust division of First Virginia Bank in the mid-1960s, which led to a career as a leading portfolio manager in the Washington office of Loomis, Sayles & Co. He worked there for 25 years.
Mr. Saffer was a board member of Middleburg Community Center and a volunteer for Seven Loaves, and he was actively involved in environmental and conservation issues.
Survivors include his wife, Carolyn Saffer of The Plains; two children, Maria S. Cobb of Richmond and Armistead T. Saffer of Aylett, Va.; a sister, Claudia Young of The Plains; a brother, Stuart Saffer of Laguna Beach, Calif.; and a grandson.
-- Yvonne Shinhoster Lamb
William G. Van MeterChamber Executive
William G. Van Meter, 89, a retired senior vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, died of aspiration pneumonia Feb. 4 at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Rockville. He lived in Gaithersburg.
Mr. Van Meter worked for the organization, which lobbies on behalf of business, for 31 years. He started as a lawyer in its labor relations department in 1951 and became executive manager in 1972 and senior vice president in 1977. He retired in 1982.
He was born in Moorefield, W.Va. He graduated from Handley High School in Winchester, Va., and served in the Army during World War II in the European theater. He was awarded a Bronze Star. After the war, he graduated from George Washington University and received a law degree there in 1949.
He worked first for the National Institute of Municipal Law Officers in Winchester, then joined the chamber office in Washington.
He was a member of St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Gaithersburg, where he founded several clubs and was an usher and lector. He was also a member of the American Society of Association Executives, the Association Executive Club and Manor Country Club.
Two children predeceased him, Julie A. Van Meter in 1977 and William G. Van Meter Jr. in 1987.
Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Bonnie J. Van Meter of Gaithersburg; five children, Bonnie J. Fanning of Gaithersburg, Robert H. Van Meter of Star Tannery, Va., Carol A. Cobbler of Silver Spring, Mary G. Brown of Germantown and Stephen R. Van Meter of Poolesville; a sister, Catharine V. Peterson of Alexandria; 14 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
-- Patricia Sullivan
Lynda Jeanne WilliamsHead Start Associate
Lynda Jeanne Williams, 64, who worked for a Head Start program in San Francisco, died of hypertensive cardiovascular disease Feb. 3 at her Silver Spring home.
Ms. Williams was born in Washington. She graduated from Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda and the San Francisco Art Institute. She moved to Silver Spring in 1991.
She enjoyed collecting Japanese art and painting flowers on paper and cloth. She designed T-shirts for family and friends.
Survivors include four sisters, Judith Beery of San Francisco, Karen Radabaugh of Germantown, Carol Williams of Takoma Park and Donna Rowley of Beltsville; and a brother, Charles Williams of Rockville.
-- Patricia Sullivan
Buddy B. WoodAir Force Colonel, Analyst
Buddy Brooks Wood, 58, a retired Air Force colonel and analyst with Northrop Grumman, died of metastatic melanoma Jan. 23 at his home in Fairfax.
Mr. Wood was born in Corinth, Miss. He received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1971 and a master's in statistics in 1973, both from Mississippi State University.
He received an Air Force commission in 1973 and had assignments at the Sacramento Air Logistics Center; the Air Force Armaments Division at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the U.S. Air Force Academy; the Air Force Studies and Analyses Agency at the Pentagon; and the National Reconnaissance Office, where he directed the analysis center.
He also attended Squadron Officer's School and the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. After his tour at the Pentagon, he attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. While stationed at the Air Force Academy, he received the Harold Brown Research Award (1982) and was recognized as the Outstanding Instructor of the Year for 1983-84.
Retiring from active duty as a colonel in 1995, Mr. Wood joined TASC (later a business unit of Northrop Grumman), where he continued to support the National Reconnaissance Office and other intelligence agencies. He was a Northrop Grumman Technical Fellow in 2002.
From 2003 to 2006, he was an analyst with Science Applications International. His business card identified him as "analysis guru." Co-workers knew him as a man who invariably brought order to chaos.
Mr. Wood was a member of Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield, where he served in the music ministry and on the elder board and taught Bible classes.
Survivors include his wife of 37 years, Penny S. Wood of Fairfax; two children, Wesley Wood and Wendy Wood, both of Reston; three brothers; two sisters; and a grandson.
-- Joe Holley