Obituary

Madelin Jones Barratt, 69, of Falls Church, Va., passed away peacefully at home on September 29, 2023 of mesothelioma.

Madelin was born in 1954 in Houston, Texas to C.M.C. Jones, Jr. and Jacquelin Jones. Her father was a Marine Corps officer and the Jones family was stationed in several locations around the United States during Madelin’s childhood, including Annapolis, Md., Quantico, Va., Pearl Harbor, and Camp Lejeune, N.C. After graduating from Lejeune High School, where she was a captain of the cheerleading squad, Madelin attended Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Va., where she received a bachelor’s degree in music in 1976.

Miriam Zogby Balutis was born on August 22, 1945 in Utica, NY, and died on August 22, 2023 at her home in Arlington, VA, enveloped in the warmth, love and care of her family, and secure in the knowledge that the former president’s next arraignment was imminent. She is survived by her devoted partner of many years, Jan Jaworski, and her two beloved children Juliette (Nor) Balutis and Adam Balutis. She is also survived by her sister Sadieann (Robert) Spear; niece Rachel (Robert Palladino) Mazzotta; nephew Christian (Barbara) Mazzotta; cousin Marya (Christopher Healey) Myslinski; and their children. She was preceded in death by her parents, Wadih and Juliette Zogby.

Miriam died of metastatic breast cancer, and it was her clear and strong wish that in memorializing her, we eschew the warrior and battle-centric language that we often see used to define the cancer experience, along with its tacit implication that surviving or dying from cancer is simply a variable driven by the will of a patient. Miriam did not “lose her battle” with cancer; she endured it for seven and a half years, abiding difficult treatments and rare side effects while living her life as well and as fully as possible throughout: traveling extensively with her partner, hosting joyful gatherings at her home, contributing her time and energy to countless campaigns to elect Democrats in Virginia and across the nation, volunteering in her community, growing numerous varieties of heirloom tomatoes in her beautifully self-landscaped backyard, and spending many treasured hours with family and friends. Though she is no longer bound by the physical body that cancer destroyed, she didn’t lose anything – not her perspective, her dignity, her sense of humor, her quick wit, her compassion for others, her moral clarity, her intolerance for injustice, her brilliant mind, her wide-ranging wisdom, her commitment to community, or her love of life’s simple joys. Her loss is solely ours: the tremendous, seismic loss of an indomitable and loving mother, partner, friend and neighbor.

Local restaurateur passes, leaving his legacy in Northern Virginia

Vincenzo Farruggio, 72, of Alexandria Virginia, passed away on Saturday, August 19th, 2023 after being diagnosed with cancer in March

Captain Kyle ‘Topper’ Lawrence Leese (Age 51)

Captain Kyle “Topper” Lawrence Leese, United States Navy, passed away on July 19, 2023, after a brief illness. At the time of his passing, he had served as an Intelligence Officer for nearly three decades. CAPT Leese is survived by his wife of 24 years, Joanne; their eighteen-year-old son, Evan; his mother, Laraine Leese-Filla and his stepfather, Tom Filla; his extended family in Canada; and a myriad of friends, sailors and shipmates on whom he has left an indelible impression.

‘Birds sing out of tune and rain clouds hide the moon.’

Douglas “Doug” Louis Rowan, passed away suddenly on July 15, 2023, while visiting family on the New Jersey shore. Doug was born in Washington, D.C on January 26, 1953, to Edward and Nancy Rowan who preceded him in death.

George Samuel Hobart (Age 87)
Memorial service info

George Samuel Hobart died peacefully on July 6, 2023, of complications from leukemia. He was born in Brooklyn, NY, on October 5, 1935.

John Carl Levock Sr., 77, of Arlington, VA, died Wednesday, July 5th, 2023. John was born June 4, 1946, the youngest child of Margaret and Michael Levock of Uniontown, PA. His early days were spent hunting and fishing with his dog Skippy.

After serving in the Army during the Vietnam War, he settled in Arlington, VA, where he met and married Kathryn Votruba and gave birth to their son, John Jr, in 1979. John and Kathy were together for 40 years, and married over 37 and he was completely devoted to her. He was a Postal Carrier in the City of Falls Church for over 30 years.

Betty Stearn (Age 91)

Betty Stearn passed peacefully on May 10, 2023 at John Knox Village in Orange City, Florida. Predeceased by Harold Stearn, her husband of 62 years, Betty is survived by her five children: Becky Marshall (Jack), Suzanne Stearn, Sherry Bicak (Jim), Pam Yokobosky, and Jon Stearn (Laura). As the matriarch of the Stearn family, Betty was blessed to have and loved dearly her twelve grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren.

Marjorie Ann Moreau, known to many as “Midge,” passed away peacefully at her sister’s home surrounded by family on May 8th, 2023, in Arlington, VA at the age of 76. Midge was born on September 30th, 1946, to CWO4 Arthur S Moreau and Margie L Moreau. She grew up in Arlington, VA, and attended Bishop O’Connell High School before going to Maryview Hospital School of Nursing to pursue her passion for healthcare.

Midge specialized in cardiovascular and trauma care as a registered nurse, and her contributions to the field of emergency medicine were invaluable. Midge helped establish the first MEDSTAR shock- trauma center and ICU at Washington Hospital Center. She then established and taught the first ever class of paramedics to begin serving the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area. Later, she founded her own company, TECCED, where she trained emergency medicine to DCFD, Park Police, Capitol police, and other DMV EMS from 1982 – 2004. Midge traveled the world setting up Emergency medical systems and facilities in over 8 countries. Always a teacher, she continued her work in educating fellow healthcare professionals in PALS at Howard and GW university medical schools, as well as CPR for the public until her retirement in 2019.

Thomas L. Vardaman (Age 82)

Mr. Thomas L. Vardaman passed away peacefully at home in Baker, West Virginia on January 8, 2023 surrounded by James Young and his beloved dogs Jasper & Otis. Thom was born on January 25, 1941, to Mr. and Mrs. Terry C and Ann Louise (Moore) Vardaman in Birmingham, Alabama. He graduated from Shades Valley High School, Birmingham, Alabama in 1959 and from Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama earning a degree in communications in 1963. He was a member of the United States Marines guard unit for six years.