Obituaries for Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2001
James Sidney JC Compton, 55, of Manassas, died Saturday, Sept. 29, 2001, at Prince William Hospital.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Egbert and Eura Hale (ne Richey) Compton; one daughter Tracy L. Compton; and one brother Arthur Eugene Compton.
He is survived by two daughters, Jennifer Lynn Compton of Manassas and Jessica Dawn Compton of Woodbridge; three sisters, Cathaolene Dahl of Florida, Barbara Compton Spangler of Manassas and Brenda Rowland of Murray, Ky.; a close and special friend, Roxie Giles of Manassas; and four grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Blasius-Baker Funeral Home, 9320 West St., Manassas, where a funeral service will be held Wednesday at noon, the Rev. Golden Vance officiating. Interment will be at Stonewall Memory Garden.
Memorial contributions may be made to Blasius-Baker Funeral Home, c/o James Compton, 9320 West. St., Manassas, VA 20110
Mary E. Kennon
Mary E. Kennon , 97, of Manassas, died Friday, Sept. 28, 2001, at Prince William Hospital.
She was active in local clubs and church and social activities in Ft. Meyer, Fla., and Manassas.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Elmer Kennon; and three stepchildren, Howard, Odessa and Vivian Fay.
She is survived by one son, Joseph H. Davis of Sierra Vista, Ariz.; one daughter, Paula D. Huycke-Athanas of Manassas; one stepdaughter, Lillian M. Jones of Sini Valley, Calif.; one sister-in-law, Itara Yates of Tifton, Ga.; 19 grandchildren; and numerous great, great-great, and great-great-great grandchildren.
A celebration of life will be held on Oct. 13 at 4:30 p.m. at Westover Baptist Church, 10301 Sudley Manor Drive, Manassas, the Rev. Randy Haynes officiating.
Memorial contributions may be made to Westover Baptist Church Building Fund, 10301 Sudley Manor Drive, Manassas, VA 20109.
George K. Lyons
George Keith Lyons, 88, died Sunday, Sept. 30, 2001, at Prince William Hospital. He had been in failing health for some time.
He was the son of William Lyons and Mary Tracy Harrell. Born in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 12, 1912, he moved to Haymarket in 1920 and to Manassas in 1923. He has been a superior and contributing resident for 77 years. His life touched so very many in this community of Manassas.
He is survived by his wife, Anna Peacock Dulany Devening, whom he married in 1989; his brother, Gordon Kenneth, his niece, Lael Sherman Lyons; four nephews, Gregory Kenneth, Douglas Keith, John Bradford and MacNeil Burton Lyons; four stepsons, Donald C, Henry C., Robert G., Scott D. Devening. In addition, he was very proud to serve as godfather to many young men and women over the years.
His first wife, Nancy Weir Waters Lyons, died in 1984. He took great pleasure in administering the Nancy Weir Waters Lyons Scholarship Fund, which he presented to Osbourn High School in her memory.
In 1929, he graduated from Manassas High School. He then was employed at Dr. C.R.C. Johnson’s drug store. For several years, he traveled much of Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia, selling structural steel and builders hardware. It was during this time that he often said he had another vocation in mind and he visited with every florist and flower store in his territory.
In 1942, World War II forced all plans to be put on hold. Keith was a master sergeant in the 42nd Division of the U.S. Army. He landed in France in June 1944. His division fought their way across France into Germany, and he was part of the force liberating the concentration camps at Dachau. For his efforts and leadership, he was awarded the Bronze Star.
In 1947, he began the first flower store in Manassas, the Lyons Bouquet Mart, which served this community and a number of adjacent towns for many years.
A member of Trinity Episcopal Church, he served as senior warden for 23 years and was a trustee. His longtime membership in the Manassas Volunteer Fire Company was yet another of the many contributions he made to the community in which he lived. He was a founding member of the Manassas Lions Club. He belonged to the Masonic Order, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the American Legion.
A great number of people of this community enjoyed and benefited from Keith Lyons’ concern and love for his fellow man.
Memorial contributions may be made to Trinity Episcopal Church, 9325 West St., Manassas, VA 20110.
The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Trinity Episcopal Church, where a funeral service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday.
Truly, truly he will be missed. May he go with God.
Frank B. O’Donnell
Frank B. O’Donnell, 80, of Lake Worth, Fla., died Saturday, Sept. 22, 2001, of a heart attack at JFK Memorial Hospital in Atlantis, Fla.
He was born in Northfield, N.J. He graduated from Pleasantville High School in 1937. He served in the U.S. Navy World War II veteran from 1939 to 1945, during which he was a U.D.T. deep-sea diver certified in the removal and detonation of underwater explosives. In 1960, he signed for service in Antarctica, where he spent 13 months. He began his service with the Department of Commerce and moved to Manassas in 1963 and retired in 1983, moving to Florida in 1987.
He was a resident of Manassas for 24 years. He was an active member of All Saints Catholic Church, a member of the Lions Club, the Elks Club and Cancer Society. He was Lion of the Year and Elk of the Year in 1980. He stayed active in his children’s activities including Booster Club, Boy Scout master and baseball coach. He also played on over-40 softball teams for 18 years.
He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Eileen O’Donnell; his daughter, Donna Goodwin of Texas; his sons, Michael O’Donnell of Richmond, Kevin O’Donnell of Manassas and Frank O’Donnell of Potomac Falls; 18 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at All Saints Catholic Church in Manassas. Interment will be in Arlington Cemetery at 2 p.m. Oct. 12.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Joe Gibbs Youth for Tomorrow, 10105 Linton Hall Road, Bristow, VA 20136.