obituary

Marjorie “Midge” Ann Moreau (Age 76)
Memorial service info

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.

Midge’s devotion was not limited to her career, but extended to her family, friends, and community. Midge was most devoted to her family, coaching her nieces’ softball team and showing up to all nieces’ and nephews’ sports games, choral recitals, plays, and graduations. She was always there with a smile on her face and the biggest hug to give. Her character flowed over into every aspect of life – lending an ear to a friend, arranging celebrations for holy days, and always offering care, love, and comfort to every ailing patient. As described in her Maryview yearbook 67′, Midge remained “A Warm Heart, and Willing Hands” until the very end.

Marjorie is survived by her siblings and their respective spouses – Therese and Joseph Crivella, James Moreau, and Mary Jo and Paul Fredrich. She also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews. Midge was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Geraldine Fitzpatrick.

Midge’s full mass will be held on May 24th at 11:00 am at St. Ann Roman Catholic Church at 5300 10th St. N, Arlington, VA 22205. A remembrance gathering will follow. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Society of the Little Flower at littleflower.org.

Midge will be deeply missed by all who knew her, and her legacy of devotion, kindness, and love will continue to inspire those who were lucky enough to be touched by her life.

>> Donation link

The following memorial event is planned.

Full Mass Funeral
May 24, 2023 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
St. Ann Roman Catholic Church
5300 10th Street N
Arlington, Virginia 22205

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.

Thom was predeceased by his parents, grandparents Porter and Gertrude Vardaman, Charles and Pauline Moore, one sister Terry Vardaman Edmonds, and Life Partner Charles (Sandy) Sandlin. He is survived by his spouse, Jim Young, Baker, West Virginia, sister Mary Charles Vardaman Capp, Birmingham, Alabama and nieces and nephews.

Thom moved to the Washington, DC area in the late 60s and settled in Arlington, VA.

He followed his dreams in communications working for Voice of America and the White House Press Corp. In retirement, Thom repositioned and planned cruises and trips for family and friends. Thom experienced a life well lived and well-travelled. He leaves behind numerous close friends. He enjoyed many things: trains, traveling the world, cooking, and gardening.

A Celebration of Life gathering was held February 25, 2023 at Lost River Grill, Lost River, WV.

In lieu of flowers, consider donating to help feed our neighbors or to shelter and care for animals:

The Wardensville Food Pantry
C/O Kathleen Hott
26405 St Rd 55
Wardensville, WV 26851

~Or~

PHAR – Potomac Highlands Animal Rescue
940 Corner Rd
Cabins, WV 26855

Sally F. Pabst (Age 77)
Memorial service info

Sally F. Pabst, born Sally Gorton Fisher in February 1945, was the daughter of the late William Dale Fisher and Sarah Guiou Fisher and the older sister of the late William Guiou Fisher, passed away on October 3rd, 2022 at her home in Montferrand, France at the age of 77.

She is survived by her husband David A. Pabst, two sons: Dale Avery Pabst (wife Gretchen) of Oak Beach, New York, Alec Guiou Pabst (wife Yoshiko), and granddaughter Reina Pabst of London, UK, and brother David Baldwin Fisher (wife Jan) of Maui, HI.

Sally’s passions ranged from music and dance, in her early years teaching her musician brother David to play the guitar and art history, becoming a docent at the National Gallery of Art and volunteering at art institutions overseas. She and her husband David also enjoyed collecting Asian art and antiques over multiple years living in Japan and Laos.

Sally grew up in a US Foreign Service family, spending much of her early life overseas. In her younger years while her father was American Consul in Florence Italy she was schooled at Miss Barry’s American School. When he was later reassigned to the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode island she lived in a modest but lovely house on Newport’s Cliff Walk lined with historic mansions. Then, when her father was reassigned to the American Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia she attended school in Nairobi, Kenya. Unfortunately, after several years in Ethiopia her father was killed on duty in an upcountry plane crash, forcing a hasty return of the family to Washington. There she attended the Holten-Arms School prior to enrolling at Smith College.

After graduating from Smith, Sally continued with graduate studies at the Johns Hopkins School of International Studies (SAIS), including spending a semester in Bologna, Italy. Upon graduating from SAIS, she moved back to Washington DC and started work at the World Bank. While in DC she met her future husband, David Pabst, a young Foreign Service Officer, at a party in Georgetown. Having grown up overseas, she didn’t bat an eye when David invited her to join him in Southern Laos on his first assignment. She sold her trusty VW Bug for a one-way ticket to Bangkok, Thailand where David met her. They then hopped a secret intelligence short-takeoff-and-landing aircraft flight over the border to Laos (foiling the existing strict controls on admittance to that country). Sally already spoke decent French (the second language of Laos) and loved life as she and David moved back and forth between the capital of Vientiane and his job overseeing the Laotian struggle with the Vietnam war in southern Laos. Meanwhile, Sally’s mother, a career US diplomat in Barbados, got wind of their escapades and leaned on her old friend, David’s boss, the US Ambassador to Laos, to have a discussion with him. This soon led to a wedding in the lovely garden of the Ambassador’s Residence in Vientiane. Not long thereafter her mother was reassigned to the US Embassy in Bangkok, meaning Sally could frequently visit her mom’s lovely house along the banks of a Klong (canal) in that vibrant city.

From Laos, Sally and David moved on to Tokyo, Japan where she thrived and became fluent in Japanese, eventually taking on a role as an editor for a Japanese government trade magazine. She also bore their first son, Dale, named after her father. They moved on from Tokyo to the US Consulate in Fukuoka where she worked at Suntory Whisky and bore their second son, Alec. Sally had loved Tokyo but liked Fukuoka even more, as her demanding new job, two young sons and the city’s vibrant nightlife, steps from their sprawling, picturesque historic house and garden. After four wonderful years in southern Japan they were sent back to Washington where they bought and renovated a lovely old historic house in the Dupont Circle area, but the call of more overseas adventures came, and they soon moved on to Paris, where David served in the US embassy and where Sally had spent some of her childhood. While overseeing the education of their two young sons in a French school she explored the wonders of one of the world’s great cities. After six years in Paris they returned to Washington for a few years where Sally continued restoration of their Dupont Circle house.

They then returned to Japan, where David served as US Consul General in Osaka. While managing a full calendar of entertainment around the consular corps and public relations duties, Sally took a job as a copy editor for a large consumer goods and restaurant conglomerate, helping address translation faux pas from English to Japanese along the way.

Their last official post in the Foreign Service was at NATO’s southern Headquarters in Naples, Italy. Again, Sally was in an element where she could thrive. After having been schooled as a girl in Florence and her later graduate studies in Bologna, she regained her Italian fluency. She spent her days exploring southern Italy and the Naples area with gusto. An avid student of art history, she particularly enjoyed the rich treasures and historical frescoes at Pompeii and Herculaneum, while learning to make limoncello from the lemon trees in her garden overlooking the Mediterranean.

In their golden years of retirement Sally and David purchased a summer home in southwestern France at a lock on the banks of the historic Canal du Midi, which links the Mediterranean and Atlantic. They enjoyed the spring and summer months there while spending falls and winters catching up with friends back in DC. Sally passed away while at their French home at age 77 on October 3, 2022 after many years exploring the rich culture and cuisine of Languedoc.

A funeral service for Sally will be held at 10:45 AM on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, at Fort Myer Old Post Chapel with a burial to follow at Arlington National Cemetery. A celebration of her life will follow at her home in Arlington.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.murphyfuneralhomes.com for the Pabst family.

Submitted by Murphy Funeral Home

James Gregory Means (Age 63)
Memorial service info

James Gregory Means, age 62, died unexpectedly on February 5, 2023. A private service will be held on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, at Murphy’s Funeral Home in Arlington, VA. Friends and colleagues are invited to join the family from 3-6 pm at Washington Golf and Country Club.

Born in Hampton, Arkansas on July 15, 1960, Greg later attended Little Rock Central High School and the University of Arkansas. He was preceded in death by his parents, J. L. Means, Jr. and Margie Nutt Means, of Hampton, Arkansas; his sister Paula Means Bailey and her son Atticus Bailey of Arlington, VA; and his grandparents, Jim and Mary Means, of Woodberry, Arkansas and Cecil and Izola Nutt of Hampton, Arkansas.

Left to mourn his passing are his beloved wife of nearly 30 years, Lisa Caroline Means and their sons James Julian and Anthony Patrick Means, all of Arlington, VA; brother-in-law James Bailey and his sons Avery and Dylan; sister Nancy Means Holley, her husband Ken, and their children Emma, Gage, and Henry of Texas; his aunt, uncle and cousins: Mike and Ann Nutt, Michael and Cheryl Nutt, and Christopher Nutt all of Hampton, Arkansas; and his in-laws Ann Moody, David Moody of Bothell, WA and Jonathan Moody of Surprise, AZ.

Like many inspired and ambitious young men, Greg packed up his meager belongings, piled them into his old clunker, and moved to Washington DC to work on Capitol Hill post-college. He spent the next ten years working on a variety of congressional campaigns and on Capitol Hill, culminating with his service as Chief of Staff for Rep. Dennis Eckart (D-OH). Upon leaving the Hill, Greg joined Duffy Wall and Associates, but in 1996 he opened a small lobbying practice with friends, which ultimately grew and transformed into the Alpine Group, a premier government affairs firm in Washington, DC.

As a founding principal of Alpine, his contributions went far beyond the external business of client work and firm management. Over time he became the firm’s ethos and provided generous mentorship to those fortunate enough to work alongside him. With his combination of quick wit, unflappable demeanor, brutal honesty, and razor-sharp mind, he was known by his friends and clients for being the first person one should call when faced with a challenge.

Outside of work, Greg was a member of the 116 Club and the Washington Golf and Country Club, where he served on its board for six years. Throughout his children’s young lives, he was a dedicated basketball coach in Arlington youth sports, known and respected by “the boys” for his guile, clever ball play, and “colorful” language.

Greg’s zest for life and all its adventures was boundless and he was a gifted story teller, always looking for his next victim to regale with his stories of growing up in small town Arkansas. His interests are too numerous to cite, but some favorites included his children and anything about their lives; Razorback sports; golf; gambling in all its forms; playing guitar; making queso for friends; The Who’s Quadrophenia album; playing cards; Monopoly as a blood sport; BBQ; fried okra; live music; and a great story. But mostly his life’s greatest pride, love and admiration was to his wife, Lisa.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Braylon Meade Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Arlington Community Foundation or the Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation. The family also extends its deep gratitude to the many friends, colleagues, and neighbors that have showered us with kindness for which we are eternally grateful.

Submitted by Murphy Funeral Home