Joseph Robert Kapacziewski (Age 41)
Memorial service info

It is with a heavy heart we share the news that Joseph “Kap” Kapacziewski passed away on Sunday, January 22, 2023, at the age of 40 in Dripping Springs, Texas. He is survived by his beloved wife, Kimberly; his sons, Wyatt and Cody; his brother, Randy Kapacziewski; his sister, Erin Bourgoin; his mother, Lori Briglia; his grandparents, George and Alice Churchill and Thomas and Marge Haggarty. Joe was preceded in death by his father, William Kapacziewski, Jr.

Joe will be remembered as much for his high energy, unbelievable drive, and contagious smile as for his warrior spirit. Joe was a loving husband, father, and accomplished hunter. For those who had the honor of knowing him, an irreplaceable friend and mentor. He loved to work out and enjoyed time with his beloved dog, Brett.

Joe grew up in Bristol, Connecticut, and joined the United States Army in 2001. Joe served in the Army with distinction for over 15 years in 3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Ranger Special Troops Battalion, and Regimental Headquarters Company.

After Joe was severely wounded in an ambush in Northern Iraq in 2005, he persevered through a difficult and lengthy recovery and overcame near-impossible odds to become the first Ranger to return to combat with a prosthetic leg. Joe continued to lead as a Squad Leader and Platoon Sergeant, ultimately deploying a total of 11 times in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

Joe’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device, 2 Bronze Star Medals, 3 Purple Hearts, Meritorious Service Medal, 2 Army Commendation Medals with “V” device, 6 Army Achievement Medals, Afghanistan Service Medal, Iraqi Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (with Arrowhead), Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Development Ribbon (with numeral 3), Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, the Army Good Conduct Medal (3rd Award), Ranger Tab, Senior Parachutist Badge (with Bronze Combat Jump Star), Expert Infantryman’s Badge, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.

After retiring from the Army, Joe continued to serve his country and lead his brothers in arms up until the time of his passing.

Joe will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery and a private service will be held at that time.

In lieu of flowers, a fund has been set up to support the Kapacziewski family during this difficult time through the Valor Mission Project. Donations can be made at ValorMissionProject.org Checks can be made payable to Valor Mission Project, INC. and mailed to 5160 Tennyson Parkway, Suite 1000, Plano, TX, 75024. Please note “Joe Kap” on the donation.

Submitted by Murphy Funeral Home

James Stuart Edmonds (Age 84)
Memorial service info

James Stuart Edmonds of Arlington VA passed away on January 25th, 2023. He was 84 years old. Jim was born on June 4th, 1938 in Elmira, NY to Robert Mason Edmonds and Florence Hoff Edmonds. In the 1940’s his parents moved to the Edmonds family farm in the town of Benton, NY in the Finger Lakes. In 1955 Jim graduated from Penn Yan Academy and went on study Mechanical Engineering at Syracuse University. After graduating from Syracuse in 1959 he studied Applied Mathematics at the University of Michigan, earning a Master’s Degree in 1961. Jim moved to the Washington, DC area to work as a computer programmer for IBM where was employed for over 30 years working primarily at the Pentagon and CIA.

While at IBM he met his wife Yolanda Coppola and the two were married on January 13th, 1968 in Falls Church, VA. They then moved to Arlington where they raised their two sons.

During his undergraduate years at Syracuse Jim achieved in both academics and rowing. He was a member of the Tau Beta Pi Honor Society and in 1959 he and his crew represented the US at the Pan American games winning gold. After moving to Washington, DC he joined the Potomac Boat Club where he rowed competitively and earned a spot on the 1964 US Olympic Team. Jim continued at Potomac Boat Club in competition, volunteering on its board of governors and various committees, maintaining the house, rigging boats with expert precision, helping others to get the most out of rowing and making many lifelong friends.

Jim also had a great love of the outdoors and was a longtime member the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club where he volunteered much of his time maintaining trails and equipment. He frequently enjoyed hiking and canoeing with his family in the Shenandoah and Adirondack mountains, through which he instilled his lifelong appreciation for the outdoors and respect for nature in his children and their peers.

Jim will be remembered for his dependability and dedication to his friends and family including being a caregiver to his ill wife during the past 11 years. His clarity of thought and dry wit will not be forgotten, however he will be remembered above all else for his humility.

Jim is survived by his wife Yolanda of 54 years, his two sons Eric of Alexandria, VA and Marc of Arlington, VA, his brother Robert John “Jack” Edmonds of Phoenix, AZ and his nieces Christine (Tim) Hall of Mount Dora, FL and Sonja Liotti of Arlington. He is also survived by several other nieces, nephews and cousins. Besides his parents, he is predeceased by his sister Nancy E. Lent.

A gathering followed by a memorial service for Jim will be held at Murphy Funeral Home, 4510 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA, 22203, on Friday February 3rd, 2023 from 1-4pm. In lieu of flowers please donate to a charity of your choice.

Submitted by Murphy Funeral Home, Arlington

William Dinwiddie Tucker (Age 95)

Lt. Col. William Dinwiddie “Bill” Tucker USAF (Ret.), 94, of Arlington, Virginia, passed away peacefully on January 18, 2023. Bill, son of the late Hubert Quinton Tucker, Sr. and Mary Elizabeth Carpenter Tucker, was born in Washington, DC, on October 5, 1928.

Bill was raised in Washington, DC, and graduated from Central High School in 1948. He attended the University of Maryland – College Park, where he was a Track & Field athlete competing in middle distance and hurdles, a football player, a wrestler and a member of Kappa Alpha Order fraternity. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree (Dean’s List) in Physical Education in 1953.

In 1950, Bill went to Missoula, Montana, to train as a smokejumper, an elite group of fewer than 6,000 members. He was active for three seasons in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and had ten practice jumps and jumped into and fought nine forest fires. One such fire was immortalized in the article “I Jump into Hell,” published in the October 1955 issue of Cavalier magazine, where he was part of a team struggling to get their wounded colleague out of the forest. Bill can also be seen in the 1952 film “Red Skies of Montana,” working alongside Richard Widmark and Jeffrey Hunter. Until recently, Bill returned periodically to Montana for smokejumper reunions where he would work on clearing trails and reminisce over cold bottles of Moose Drool beer with his friends.

In 1953, Bill joined the USAF Reserves, transitioning to active duty in 1961. He served as a USAF Military Pilot and Aircraft Commander with the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (Hurricane Hunters) at Ramey AFB in Puerto Rico. In Vietnam, Bill served as a Pilot and Instructor flying C-123s and C-130s on transport and defoliation missions. After the war ended, Bill went back into the USAF Reserves, working at Andrews AFB with the 459th Congressional Wing until he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1979.

His military decorations were many and include the Air Force Commendation, an Air Medal with ten Oak Leaf Clusters (one for Hurricane Hunting and nine for his service in Vietnam, with each Cluster for Vietnam representing five combat missions) and the Distinguished Flying Cross. The citation for the Distinguished Flying Cross notes how Bill successfully completed a high priority mission despite his aircraft sustaining significant damage. He also flew a number of transport missions during the Battle of Khe Sanh.

While stationed at Ramey AFB, Bill met the love of his life, Jeanne McCoy, who was teaching on the base. Bill and Jeanne married on August 31, 1968, in Elyria, OH. The couple eventually settled in Arlington, VA, where they lived in Bill’s family home. They remained happily married for 53 years until Jeanne’s death in 2021.

His love of horses began in his youth, leading him to be a trainer, to play polo and to ride in the Rappahannock Hunt. He was a member of the Blacksmith Guild of the Potomac, and an avid collector of U.S. Calvary memorabilia, with many of these artifacts being featured in the U.S. Calvary Museum in Fort Riley, Kansas. One of Bill’s greatest joys was spending time down at “the cabin,” his family property in Culpeper, Virginia.

Bill will be greatly missed and remembered fondly.

Bill was preceded in death by his wife Jeanne McCoy Tucker, and his brothers Dr. Hubert Quinton Tucker, Jr. and Joseph Travis “Joe” Tucker, Sr. He is survived by his sister, Mary Frances Tucker Fannon, as well as many loving nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews and a great-great niece.

Bill will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, with the interment and a memorial service to be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the National Smokejumper Association, https://smokejumpers.com.

Submitted by Murphy Funeral Home

Monica Rosas Dominguez (Age 17)
Memorial service info

Monica, 17 years old, passed away on Saturday, January 14th, after multiple years of battling with anxiety, depression, and a severe eating disorder.

Monica had many interests such as being a member of girl scouts since kindergarten, rec soccer, Mexican Folk dance, volunteering at the pet shelter to help feed the cats, and cooking delicious meals/pastries for her loved ones. She had also been a member of St. Ann Catholic Church where she contributed as an altar server during the Spanish mass.

>> Donation link

The following memorial events are planned.

Visitation
01/23/2023 from 4-8 p.m.
Everly Funeral Home
6161 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, Virginia 22044

Mass of Christian Burial
01/24/2023 from 11 a.m.-noon
Saint Ann Catholic Church
5300 10th St N.
Arlington, Virginia 22205

William A Owczarski (Age 88)
Memorial service info

William A. (Bill) Owczarski, who above all else, was a devoted husband, father, and son to his family, died Dec. 25, 2022. He was 88.

Bill’s true partner in life was his beloved Carolyn Agnes (Sadlow) Owczarski, better known as “Connie,” his wife of 65 years. Together, they raised their three sons–Paul, John, and Mark–starting in Loudonville, N.Y., then mostly in Cheshire, Conn., and the couple later lived in Arlington, Va., Gainesville, Va., and Raleigh, N.C. Bill was additionally blessed with three daughter-in-laws, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Born and raised in Adams, Mass., Bill was the son of the late William Felix and Louise Ella (Schwab) Owczarski. He attended both parochial and public schools in Adams, and went on to receive his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass., and his master’s degree in metallurgical engineering and Ph.D. in metallurgy from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.

Bill began his distinguished career with positions at Sprague Electric in North Adams, Mass., in 1955 and with General Electric in Schenectady, N.Y. in 1958. In 1962, he began a nearly 30 year span with Pratt & Whitney and United Technologies Corp. where he contributed to the development of materials, processes, and manufacturing methods used to produce jet engines. His time there included positions in research, development, program management, and technology planning and resulted in many contributions to the fields of high temperature alloys, metals joining, forming, and casting.

He was the author of more than 40 technical and policy papers and was issued 11 patents. His professional honors included his appointment as Fellow of the American Society of Metals and the American Welding Society, being the recipient of the United Technologies Corp. George Mead Medal for Engineering Achievement, and being named the Comfort T. Adams Honorary Lecturer of the American Welding Society.

From 1987 to 1989, Bill served as a Senior Policy Analyst and Industrial Research Institute Fellow in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. During his appointment, he served as chairman of the Federal Coordinating Council on Science, Engineering and Technology Committee on Materials and was involved in other international science and technology policy issues.

Following his White House appointment, Bill was the director of external technology development for United Technologies in Washington, D.C., was a Research Fellow with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and worked in the Contract Research Division of Babcock & Wilcox in Washington before he retired in 1999.

Bill shared countless memories with Connie of their many family trips and activities with their three boys, and later their families; time with his close friend, the late C.P. “Pat” Sullivan and his wife, Kitty; time on Cape Cod or the Jersey shore with friends, the late Fred and Jane Loveless; and their time together as a couple or hosting family and friends at their home away from home in Jupiter, Fla. Bill was deeply committed to his Catholic faith, and on any given day, there was never a New York Times crossword puzzle Bill and Connie would not take on, together.

In addition to Connie, Bill is survived by his son and daughter-in-law Paul and Kathleen Owczarski of Raleigh, N.C. (and grandchildren Laura (Jean-Claude) Shore and Kevin Owczarski); his son and daughter-in-law John and Karen Owczarski of McLean, Va. (and grandchildren Kat, Jack, Kelly, and James); son and daughter-in-law Mark and Dawn Owczarski of Blacksburg, Va. (and grandchildren McKinley and Noah); and two great-grandchildren, Anthony and Lucia Shore.

Visitation will be held on Friday, Jan. 20, 2023 at 10 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. at St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church, 5801 Falls of Neuse Road, Raleigh, N.C. 27609. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Bill’s memory may be made to Catholic Charities of the Raleigh Diocese at https://www.catholiccharitiesraleigh.org.

>> Donation link

Preston Caruthers (Age 95)
Memorial service info

Preston C. Caruthers passed away at home peacefully on January 1, 2023, surrounded by his loving family. Preston was born January 18, 1927 in Covington, Oklahoma to Charles Preston and Leila Nye. He is predeceased by his wife Jeanne, his daughter Dana, and his younger sister, Gladys Marie. His older sister, Lorraine C. Snell, proudly carries on at 100 years of age.

Having lost his father at the age of three, Preston and his sisters were raised by their indomitable mother who faced profound hardship during the Great Depression and his sister Lorraine who became the breadwinner.

Preston was desperate to see the world and seek a better life that he’d only read about and dreamed of, so at 17, he joined the Navy thus foregoing his Senior year of High School. And that was the beginning of his extraordinary and adventuresome life.

After serving as a Corpsman in the Navy he joined his sister Lorraine and her husband, George Snell, in Arlington, VA. While attending GW on the G.I. Bill he learned the business and craft of home-building(from George). He met his beloved wife, Jeanne B. Simmons, during these college years. They made Arlington their home and together raised five children: Stephen Caruthers(Lou Ann), John Creasy(Kit), Lynn Shadyac (Richard-deceased), Dana Snyder(Jack), and Lisa Dawson(Porter). He absolutely delighted in his relationships with his eight grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Preston, together with George Snell, enjoyed a successful career in building and development. Preston was passionate about community service and either served on or led the following Boards: Arlington County School Board, Arlington Hospital(now VHC), Virginia State Board of Education, Mount Vernon Advisory Committee, Arlington Chamber of Commerce, Shenandoah Life Insurance, National Advisory Council on Vocational Ed, Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges, and he signed the original charter establishing George Mason University. A truly generous philanthropist. He supported Marymount University, Shenandoah University, Arlington’s Outdoor Lab, the Nature Conservancy, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, helped save the Arlington Planetarium, and established a Nursing Scholarship at Arlington Hospital, to name a few examples of his generosity. His accomplishments were many, but so we’re his pleasures. Preston was an avid reader. He was fascinated by the world and loved to travel. An added passion was golf and he played well into his senior years. He had an extraordinary sense of humor and was well known for his (sometimes)practical jokes. An example for us all, Preston Caruthers enjoyed life to the fullest.

Special gratitude is extended to Tianeseng Luangphinith for her 24 years of dutiful service and compassion. Lydia Motanya, Margaret Waruri, Rose Warurui, and Millicent Mwendwa complete the all-star team of wonderful caregivers.

A visitation will be held at Murphy’s Funeral Home 4510 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA on Monday, January 9 from 4:00pm to 7:00 pm.

Services will be held on Tuesday, January 10 at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church 2609 N. Glebe Road, Arlington, VA at 11:00am. There will be a private burial ceremony for family only.

Submitted by Murphy Funeral Home

Lisa Stolaruk (Age 66)

Lisa J. Stolaruk died quietly at home in Arlington, VA on Jan. 1, 2023. She was 65.

She is survived by her husband, Mark B. English, her brother Fred Stolaruk and sister-in-law Kathy Stolaruk, and their son Jason Stolaruk, her brother-in-law Jeffrey English and mother-in law Grace English.

Lisa was born on Feb. 25, 1957 in Royal Oaks, Michigan, and grew up in Detroit, the daughter of John and Lena Stolaruk, both deceased.

A graduate of American University, she held several top-ranking positions with the federal government. Her last position before retiring was as congressional liaison for DEA-DOJ.

Lisa and Mark married in September 1997.

She was a longtime member of St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral in Washington, D.C., her beautiful soprano voice enhancing the choir and services.

She was passionate about animal rescue and spent many hours at Homeward Trails Animal Rescue in Fairfax Station, VA., to support pet adoptions, and at Best Friends, an animal sanctuary in southwestern Utah. Lisa loved to travel and traveled the world extensively, both for business and pleasure. She facilitated the transfer of Soi dogs from Thailand to the United States for adoption and to save them from the meat trade in Asia multiple times.

Her funeral will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 11 am, at St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral, 3500 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., in Washington, D.C., with a repast meal to follow in the parish hall.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Homeward Trails Animal Rescue.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.murphy-funeralhomes.com for the Stolaruk family.

Submitted by Murphy Funeral Home, Arlington

Long-time local developer, civic leader and philanthropist Preston Caruthers has died.

Caruthers passed away on New Year’s Day at the age of 95.

Dubbed “Mr. Arlington” for “his tireless work to enhance the quality of life of his fellow residents,” Caruthers served in the Navy during World War II and then spent his life building, volunteering and donating.

His “contributions to the Arlington skyline include Dominion Towers, Shawnee and Rosslyn’s Ames Building,” the Falls Church News-Press’ Charlie Clark wrote in a 2015 biographical article. He made significant donations to the Virginia Hospital Center Foundation, Marymount University, Shenandoah University, and the David M. Brown Planetarium, among other institutions.

Caruthers also volunteered and served on numerous boards, including the Arlington School Board, the Virginia State Board of Education and the George Mason University Board of Visitors.

In 2007 Caruthers received the Arlington Community Foundation Spirit of Community Award. Ten years later, he was honored by the Virginia state legislature with the following joint resolution.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 13, 2017
Agreed to by the Senate, January 16, 2017

WHEREAS, Preston C. Caruthers, a patriotic veteran and a successful entrepreneur, has supported and strengthened the Arlington community through his generosity and visionary leadership; and

WHEREAS, a native of Oklahoma, Preston Caruthers learned the value of hard work and responsibility at a young age as a child of the Great Depression, supporting his family through part-time summer jobs and by working on his uncle’s farm; and

WHEREAS, Preston Caruthers attended Will Rogers High School before he joined many of the other young men of his generation in service to the nation during World War II; as a member of the United States Navy, he served in the Pacific theater of the war; and

WHEREAS, after his honorable military service, Preston Caruthers returned to the United States, continued his education at George Washington University, and founded a construction business, which thrived thanks to his charisma, business acumen, and industrious nature; and

WHEREAS, Preston Caruthers’ company completed residential homes and communities, apartments, and commercial parks and office buildings; his proudest accomplishment was the creation of Belmont Bay, a unique waterfront community at the confluence of the Occoquan River and Potomac River; and

WHEREAS, after settling in Arlington, Preston Caruthers became a pillar of the community, holding leadership positions on the boards of the First Bank of Virginia, The Nature Conservancy, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and the Arlington Hospital Foundation and supporting the National Museum of the United States Army, the Virginia Hospital Center Foundation, and Marymount University; and

WHEREAS, Preston Caruthers was deeply committed to lifelong learning and worked to instill that passion in the youth of the community as a member of the Arlington County School Board and through leadership positions at George Mason University, the Virginia State Board of Education, and the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges; and

WHEREAS, in 2007, Preston Caruthers received the Arlington Community Foundation Spirit of Community Award, and he earned the nickname “Mr. Arlington” for his tireless work to enhance the quality of life of his fellow residents; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Preston C. Caruthers for his work as a developer, philanthropist, and community advocate; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Preston C. Caruthers for his decades of exceptional service to the residents of Arlington and the Commonwealth.

Caruthers was married to wife Jeanne for 66 years prior to her death in 2015, according to a past Sun Gazette article. They had five children, all raised locally.

Memorial service plans have so far not been announced publicly. Clark tells ARLnow that he’s working on an obituary for Caruthers, to be published later this week.

Update at 12:45 p.m. — Marymount University just released the following statement from President Irma Becerra.

Preston Caruthers was a valued and longtime friend of Marymount University. He was a true counselor and major philanthropic supporter, and we are honored to have a building named in his honor on campus. He greatly valued education in general, and private education and Marymount in particular. In fact, through his efforts Marymount joined the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges, a group supporting scholarships for private institutions in Virginia — and our involvement continues to this day. He will be missed dearly, but we are truly blessed to continue our relationship with the Caruthers family.

Margaret Johnson Wilson (Age 90)

1932-2022

Margaret J. (Dorothy) Wilson, a lifelong fighter for minority youth in Arlington, died at The View Alexandria November 26, 2022. Educated in the Pittsburgh Public Schools, she received a BA from University of Pittsburgh. She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She also earned a master’s and doctorate in clinical psychology from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio with an internship at the University of Illinois Research and Educations Hospitals of Chicago, Illinois. She was a member of the Council of Representatives, the superior legislative body responsible for the oversight of the American Psychological Association. She joined Howard University as graduate faculty in the Urban Affairs and Research Institute. She reopened clinical services for the D.C. Mental Health Center and then began work at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital until retirement in 2007. In 1980 she began her civic life as the chair of the Education Committee of the Arlington NAACP. From this vantage point she began a decades-long involvement with Arlington Public Schools and Arlington County on behalf of African Americans. Dr. Wilson served on countless boards and committees for the school system and the County in a variety of civic enterprises for the benefit of Arlington citizens. She was a life member of the NAACP and the Urban League and served on the latter’s board. She was the recipient of the James L. Hunter Human Rights Award, a prior NAACP award for achievement, an Arlington Public School award for Outstanding Service and a Minority Achievement Office award for selfless dedication in saluting academic excellence in the community. Margaret was preceded in death by her husband, Leon. She is survived by a host of cousins and devoted friends.

The following memorial event is planned.

Celebration of Life
Saturday, January 28, 2:00 p.m. (previously posted as Jan 27)
Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington
4444 Arlington Blvd
Arlington, Virginia 22204

Submitted by Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington