Obituaries for Friday, March 8, 2002
Nancy Jane Bjorklund died Tuesday, March 5, 2002, at her home. She had been a resident of Woodbridge for 24 years.
Born May 17, 1933, she was raised in Longmeadow, Mass. She graduated from Cathedral High School. She was a master gardener and a lover of wildlife and family history. She was preceded in death by her parents, LeRoy and Alma Rivard, and a son, Mark.
Survivors are her husband, K. Don Bjorklund, Col., Ret. USMC; sister, Sally Mooradd; brother, Rodney Rivard, Col. Ret. USAF; daughters, Susan Kettle, Linda Boucher, Anne Kline and Tracy Chase; son, Eric and 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Miller Funeral Home in Woodbridge.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on March 16 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Longmeadow. Following the Mass she will be laid to rest beside her son, Mark.
Expressions of sympathy may take the form of flowers or memorials to Hospice of Northern Virginia, Prince William Clinical Offices, 9540 Center St., Suite 300, Manassas, VA 20110.
Thurman H. Burnley
Thurman Hasting Burnley, 67, of Lorton and Westmoreland County died Wednesday, March 6, 2002, at the Medical College of Virginia.
He was a resident of Northern Virginia for more than 60 years and owner of Springfield Welding and Iron Works. He was preceded in death by a son, Christopher S. Burnley.
Survivors are his wife, Trudy Burnley; his daughter, Cathy Hartman of Orange; his sons, Thurman Burnley Jr. of Fredericksburg, David Burnley of Kernersville, N.C., and Timothy Burnley of Spotsylvania; his brother, Kenneth Burnley of Woodbridge; his sisters, Shirley Thorne and Sharon Dalton, both of West Palm Beach, Fla., Gladys Neff of Springfield, Darlene Mathews of Burke and Deborah Jenner of Manassas; and eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
The family will receive friends on Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at Mountcastle Funeral Home, 13318 Occoquan Road, Woodbridge where services will be held on Monday at 10:30 a.m. Interment will follow at Mount Comfort Cemetery in Alexandria.
Beth Hopkins
Beth L. (nee Ludberg) Hopkins, 78, of Woodbridge, formerly of Alexandria died Monday, March 4, 2002, at her home.
A member of Old Bridge United Methodist Church she was a leader of United Methodist Women, a past chaplain at Mt. Vernon Hospital, an honored volunteer for United Community Ministries, Ventures in Community, Route One Corridor Housing, Wesley Housing Development Corporation and other organizations. She was also a past member of Newton, N.J. Public School Board. She was preceded in death by her sister, Alice Taylor.
Survivors are her husband of 57 years, George J. “Jack” Hopkins Jr.; seven children, Ann Decker of Rolla, Mo., Allen Hopkins of Lafayette, Calif., Jane Hopkins of Chicago, Paul Hopkins of Burford, Ga., Lee Hopkins of Parker, Colo., Lynn Hopkins of Norcross, Ga., Brian Hopkins of Washington, D. C.; one brother, James Ludberg of Grimsby, Ontario, and five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Two services are scheduled, one at 2 p.m. Saturday at Westminster at Lake Ridge and the other at 2 p.m. March 16 at Old Bridge United Methodist Church in Woodbridge.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to United Methodist Committee on Relief, UMCOR, Room 330, 475 Riverside Drive, New York, N. Y. 10115.
Old Town Funeral Choices in Old Town Alexandria.
Franklin J. Jessel
Franklin John Jessel, 92, of Manassas died Wednesday, March 6, 2002, at the Prince William Hospital in Manassas.
He was born Oct. 18, 1909 in Buffalo, N.Y. He was a member of Grace United Methodist Church, Henry Knoxfield Lodge 349 A.F.&A.M. Alexandria, Kena Temple Fairfax, Manasseh Lodge 182, A.F.&A.M. Manassas and he received his 50 year Masonic Pin. He was a charter member of Midday Lions Club of Manassas, Lake Jackson Boat Club, Elks Club of Fairfax, treasurer of Lake Jackson Citizens Association, and Lake Jackson Sanitary District Advisory Committee. He retired after 30 years from the Defense Supply Agency.
Survivors include his wife, Ester L. Jessel of Manassas; two stepsons, Ken Vaughan of Warrenton and Stephen Vaughan of Charlotte, N.C.; one brother, William Jessel of Buffalo, N.Y.; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
The family will receive friends at the Blasius-Baker Funeral Home, 9320 West St., Manassas Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.with a Masonic service at 8 p.m.
A memorial service will be held at Grace United Methodist Church, 10201 Hendley Road in Manassas on Sunday, at 2:30 p.m. with the Rev. Rudolph E. Tucker, Jr. and Denise M. Childers officiating.
Memorials may be made to Grace United Methodist Church, 10201 Hendley Road, Manassas, VA 20110.
Bertha Ellen Oliver
Bertha Ellen Oliver, 86, of Fredericksburg died Tuesday, March 5, 2002 at Mary Washington Hospital.
Mrs. Oliver was born and grew up in Woodbridge. She was the widow of Robert L. Oliver.
Survivors include two sons, John R. Oliver of Hartwood and Donald T. Oliver of Prince George; a sister, Christine Griffin of Indian Head, Md.; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
She donated her body to science. A memorial service will be held at Grace United Methodist Church in Fauquier County on Saturday at 3 p.m., with the Rev. Henry McCaslin officiating.
The family requests that expressions of sympathy take the form of contributions to Grace United Methodist Church, c/o Parsonage, 2447 Poplar Road, Fredericksburg.
Hazel I. Paxton
Hazel Irene Paxton, 66, of Woodbridge died Wednesday, March 6, 2002, at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
Born March 31, 1935 in Virginia, she was a homemaker. She was preceded in death by her parents, Walter F. Staton Sr. and Virginia Lottie Sandridge Staton and her husband, Richard L. Paxton, Sr.
Survivors include one daughter, Kimberly M. Simms of Woodbridge; three sons, Lonnie E. Paxton of Locust Grove, Richard L. Paxton, Jr. of Stafford and Mark L. Paxton of Woodbridge; two brothers, Eugene Staton of Berryville and Walter F. Staton Jr., of Winchester; eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
The family will receive friends at Mullins and Thompson Stafford Chapel Monday from 10 to 10:45 a.m.
Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at Stafford Memorial Park with Paul Anthony Smith officiating.
Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association, Mid-Atlantic Affiliates, Memorials and Tributes Processing Center, P. O. Box 5216 Glen Allen, VA 23058 or American Lung Association of Northern Virginia, 9735 Main St., Fairfax, VA 22031.
photo w/petley obit
Thomas H. Petley
Thomas Henry Petley, 89, of Woodbridge died Wednesday, March 6, 2002, at Marian Manor.
He was born in Philadelphia, on March 29, 1912. He joined the U.S. Army, finished technical school and did quite well as a radar technician. He then enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served on a blimp during World War II. His job was to help find submarines off the coast of California.
With his radar training, he was a natural for tinkering and inventing. He had his own television business in Arlington. After opening the business, he accepted a position at DeWitt Army Hospital, Fort Belvoir, as a repair technician. In 1960, he moved to Woodbridge. He worked part-time at the Woodbridge Sunset Drive In Theatre. He joined St. Paul United Methodist Church, and enjoyed trips and other activities with friends.
One of Thomas’ favorite activities after his retirement was tinkering with his inventions. He also loved his cottage in the Northern Neck where he spent a great deal of time with his family and grandchildren, teaching them how to fish and crab.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Helen and is survived by one daughter, June Najjum of Lake Ridge; one son, Dennis Petley of Newport News; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Mountcastle Funeral Home, 4143 Dale Blvd., Dale City, where services will be held at 3 p.m., with the Rev. Denise Bates officiating. Burial will be Tuesday at 1 p.m., at Quantico National Cemetery, Triangle.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 11240 Waple Mill Road, No. 402, Fairfax, VA 22030.
Rita A. Pettit
Rita A. Pettit, 78, of Manassas, died Monday, March 3,2002, at the Prince William Hospital in Manassas.
Survivors include her sons, Michael D. Pettit and Timothy Pettit; her daughter, Mary Rita Pettit; her sister, Mary Arneson; and three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
The family will receive friends on Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. at Lee Funeral Home, 8521 Sudley Road, Manassas.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. at All Saints Catholic Church, 9300 Stonewall Road, Manassas. Interment will follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Washington, D. C.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice of Northern Virginia, Prince William Division, 9450 Center St., Suite 300, Manassas, VA 20110.
Kendrick Smith
Kendrick Carl Smith, 58, of Woodbridge, died Tuesday, March 5, 2002, at the Potomac Hospital.
Born in Spotsylvania County he had resided in Woodbridge for more than 26 years. He served in the U.S. Air Force during Vienam. He was a faithful member of Faith Liberty Baptist Church and an avid sportsman.
Survivors include his wife, Barbara Smith; two sons, Benjamin K. Smith of Colorado and Matthew H. Smith of Woodbridge; one brother, George L. Smith of Ruther Glen; one sister, Wanda Allen of Dahlgren and two grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. on Sunday at Mountcastle Funeral Home, 4143 Dale Blvd., Dale City, where services will be held Monday at noon with the Rev. Tom Rodgers officiating. Interment to follow at Quantico National Cemetery.