HHS Alum, Leesburg Business Owner Marty Newsom Dies

A Celebration of Life will be held June 10.

Herndon High School alum Marty Newsom passed away on Tuesday at age 42.  A star gymnast at HHS in the 1980s, he was the co-owner of Apex Gymnastics in Leesburg, which opened in 1997. He attended the University of Wisconsin on a full scholarship and was a coach for more than 20 years.  A Celebration of Life will be held on June 10 from noon to 4 p.m. at Ida Lee Park in Leesburg, near the gazebo. Those who attend are asked to bring chairs and blankets. They are also welcome to bring photos and a dish or dessert to pass, as well as beverages, for a potluck. Paper products will be provided.  The family has asked that in lieu of flowers donations be made to a scholarship fund on Mr. Newsom's behalf. Checks can be made payable to Apex …

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Longtime Market Vendor Dies After Car Crash

Shannon Donley, 48, operated Fertile Plains Meats at Reston, Herndon and other area farmers markets.

Shannon Clark Donley, a longtime vendor at the Reston Farmers Market and other local markets,  died on may 3 following a car accident near Leesburg. Donley, 48, of Shepherdstown, WV, operated Fertile Plains Meats. He had been a vendor at the Reston Farmers Market, which operates Saturdays at Lake Anne, for nine years. He recently also opened a stand at the Wednesday Smart Market in Reston. Donley was a seventh-generation farmer, according to an obituary in the Martinsburg (WV) Journal-News. He was also a certified lay speaker at Bethesda United Methodist Church at Molers Crossroads, WV, and a parishioner of New Street United Methodist Church in Shepherdstown. Donley was a member and Past Master of Mt. Nebo Lodge No. 91 A.F. & A.M., member …

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Diane Blust

5:48 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012

All - I'd like to focus on the incredible work done day in and day out (nights, too) by the farmers who ferry their goods to the markets in Northern Virginia. They provide us with an alternative to industrial agriculture. They provide an incredible boost to our local economies. There may very well come a time when they are our only alternative to industrial agriculture - because of increasing …   more ›

Donald deLaski, Deltek Co-founder and GMU Philanthropist, dies at 80

Donald deLaski was the co-founder of Deltek, located just outside the Town of Herndon.

Donald deLaski was the visionary behind Deltek, Inc., one of the Washington area’s largest and most successful software companies.   In 1983, after spending twenty years building an accounting practice for government contractors, Mr. deLaski co-founded Deltek and provided the starting capital of $100,000 to fund the programming effort to write the first version of the software.  Today, Deltek is a public company with annual revenues of $341 million and employs over 750 people in the Washington, DC region, serving over 15,000 organizations in 80 countries around the world.  Battling asthma his entire life, he died of lung disease on March 9 at his home in Bethesda. Deltek started and took root during the microcomputer boom in the 1980’s.  …

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Don Vetter, Former Herndon Observer Publisher, 87

Don Vetter, former Herndon resident and Herndon Observer publisher, passed away at 87.

Donald Vetter, 87, of Salem, N.H., and previously of Herndon died peacefully surrounded by his loving children on Feb. 17, 2012 at Greystone Farm at Salem after a lengthy illness. He was predeceased by his wife of 52 years Peggy (Downey) Vetter. A veteran of World War II, Mr. Vetter served with the Army Air Corps as a weather observer in North Africa and Iran. After the war he returned to marry his high school sweetheart and graduate from college with a degree in business and began a management career with Pan American World Airways (Pan Am). Mr. Vetter and his wife then raised their family in Pan Am assignments that spanned the globe. He established the airport in Guatemala City, where they lived during the 1954 revolution, and then …

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Reston's Donna Miller Thibault, 69

Accountant, "Best of Reston" winner died in Florida Dec. 24.

Reston Interfaith Mourns Former Chair Bolton

Vade Bolton, 72, died Monday. He was key to organization's efforts for more than 30 years.

Longtime Reston Interfaith volunteer Vade Bolton, 72, of Reston died Monday, Dec. 26 of complications following surgery last week. Mr. Bolton, along with his wife Janet, was a key volunteer in the community for more than three decades. Some of his contributions included service on the Board of Directors of Reston Interfaith for nearly 10 years as a representative of Congregation Beth Emeth and chairman of the Board of Reston Interfaith from 2006-2008 (FY07-FY09), leading the organization during a time of significant growth and visibility, said Reston Interfaith CEO Kerrie Wilson. " Vade was a tireless advocate for housing and the care for people who are homeless and the most vulnerable in our community," said Wilson. "While on the board, …

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Gallery: Family, Friends say Goodbye to Firefighter Horace "Teddy" Pendergrass

Services were held Thursday morning at Zion Baptist Church in Fairfax

Family and friends said goodbye to fallen firefighter Horace Christopher “Teddy” Pendergrass at the Zion Baptist Church on Thursday morning. Hundreds of Fairfax County Firefighters and firefighters from as far as New York came to pay their respects. Pendergrass, 49, was a 21-year veteran of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. Pendergrass passed away on Saturday at the Crosspointe Fire Station in Fairfax Station. The cause of his death is under investigation, though he is believed to have died of natural causes. Pendergrass leaves behind his two daughters, Christian Adams and Tierra Pendergrass, and his son, Horace Christopher Junior, according to his obituary published for his funeral service. Pendergrass grew up in Norfolk, …

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Lee Powell Memorial Tree Dedication

The Town of Herndon dedicated a tree in honor of Lee Powell, a prominent town resident who passed away in September

The Town of Herndon held a tree dedication in memory of Lee Powell on Friday, Oct. 21, 2011. Born Nov. 13, 1932, she passed away on Sept. 17, 2011. She was a former member of the Herndon Town Council, and served with many local organizations including the Herndon Fortnightly Club, the Cultivating Community Committee, and Business and Professional Women, among others. She was a member of the town council during the creation of Bready Park and pushed to name the park after Isaiah Bready, the town's first mayor and grandfather or George Price.  In attendance at the tree dedication were Lee Powell's children, Gail Winters and John W. Powell and his wife Pat, current and former members of the Herndon Town Council, Mayor Steve DeBenedittis, Town…

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Lee Powell of Herndon Passes Away

Lee Powell served on the Herndon Town Council and volunteered throughout the community.

Herndon resident Lee Powell passed away on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011, after a heart attack. She was involved in the town of Herndon throughout her life, serving as a council member, as a member of the town's Cultivating Community Committee, the Fortnightly Club and other town events.  Visitation will beheld Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011 from 4-8 p.m. at Adams-Green Funeral Home, 721 Elden St., Herndon, 20170.  To share your condolences, photos or memories of Ms. Powell, sign into Patch to leave a comment or upload a photo, or send an email to Leslie@Patch.com. 

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