Obituaries

Earl White Plumber, Civic Leader

Earl White, 75, who owned and operated Herndon Plumbing and Heating from 1958 until retiring in 1996 and who was a longtime civic leader and public official in Herndon, died of cancer Sept. 20 at Inova Cameron Glen Care Center in Reston. He was a resident of Herndon, where he was born.

He graduated from Herndon High School in 1952 and was a plumber's assistant before starting his own business. He served in the Army in 1955 and 1956.

Mr. White was a member of the Herndon Town Council in the 1970s and served on the Herndon Planning Commission from 1977 to 1996. He also was a past president of the Herndon Chamber of Commerce and the Herndon Lions Club.

Survivors include his wife of 44 years, Ruth Fulmer White of Herndon; two sons, Tim White of Richmond and John White of Reston; two brothers, James White of Fairfax, S.C., and Ed White of Winston-Salem, N.C.; two sisters, Katherine Jarboe of Ormond Beach, Fla., and Marian Campbell of Reston; and four grandchildren.

-- Lauren Wiseman

James C. Thompson Liquor Salesman

James C. Thompson, 78, a retired liquor and wine salesman, died Sept. 26 of lung disease at his home in Rockville.

Mr. Thompson moved to the Washington area in 1959 and worked for more than 20 years at Kronheim Cos., which was a major liquor distributor in the region. He later worked for other liquor distributors, selling to stores and dealers, until his retirement in 1996.

James Conrad Thompson was born in Queens, N.Y., and served in the Army during the Korean War. He was a graduate of Farmingdale State College in New York.

He was a member of Disabled American Veterans and volunteered with the American Red Cross. He enjoyed traveling and had a strong interest in trains and model railroading.

Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Sandra Mason Thompson of Rockville; two daughters, Melanie Rome of Tarzana, Calif., and Meridith Flanigan of Ijamsville; two brothers; two sisters; and five grandchildren.