Virginia, U.S., Marriage Records, 1936-2014
William L. Geary, 36, insurance agent
William L. ``Bill'' Geary of Gaffney, S.C., formerly of Arlington and Vienna, died Saturday at Inova Fairfax Hospital of an apparent heart attack. He was 36.
Born on Sept. 19, 1964, in Fairfax, he was the son of Donald Evert and Shirley White Geary of Vienna. He attended First Baptist Church in Gaffney and was the owner of Geary Insurance Agency there.
He is survived by his wife, Gloria Gault Geary; three sons, Hatcher, Reid and Harrison Geary, all of the home; his father, Donald E. Geary, and mother, Shirley White Geary; a brother, Don Geary of Fairfax; and a sister, Sharon Price of Vienna.
Memorial services were held yesterday at Calvary United Methodist Church in Arlington. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church in Gaffney. Interment
will be at Oakland cemetery in Gaffney.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Calvary United Methodist Church, 2315 S. Grant St., Arlington, VA 22202.
Joel L. Johnson, 57, substance abuse counselor
Joel L. Johnson of Alexandria, a substance abuse counselor at Accotink Academy in Springfield, died Friday at Inova Alexandria Hospital of a brain tumor. He was 57.
Born with his twin brother Joseph on June 24, 1944, in Alexandria Hospital, he was the son of Vivian Slowly and the late Joseph Johnson Sr., both of Alexandria.
Johnson served two years in the Army and then attended Federal City College, now the University of the District of Columbia. He was divorced.
Mr. Johnson is survived by three sons, Joel Jr. and Joel Jhrumon, both of Washington, D.C., and Clifton of Alexandria; a sister, Joyce Bracey of Alexandria; a half brother, Julian Haley of Alexandria; a half sister, Anne Farrar of Dale City; and two granddaughters.
Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Roberts Memorial United Methodist Church, 606-A S. Washington St. in Alexandria, preceded by a viewing at 10 a.m.. Interment
will be at Quantico National cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Mr. Johnson's memory to Roberts Memorial United Methodist Church's building fund.
Col. William J. Beckwith, 72, retired Army armored officer
Col. William J. Beckwith, who retired from the U.S. Army in 1978 after 27 years of service, died of lung cancer April 6 at his home in Great Falls. He was 72.
Born in Fargo, N.D., and raised in Lake Minnetonka, Minn., Col. Beckwith entered the Army in 1951 and served with armored units for two combat tours during the Korean War and two more during the Vietnam War. He also served at various Army posts in Germany, Italy and the United States.
Col. Beckwith and his wife of 30 years, Jean, were married
March 25, 1972, in Washington, D.C. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Maryland.
Also surviving are three sons, Michael M. Beckwith of Columbus, Ohio, Stephen R. Beckwith of Atlanta and W. Douglas Beckwith of St. Paul, Minn.; a daughter, Charyl Stadler of St. Paul; a brother, Robert Beckwith of Ankeny, Iowa; a sister, Carol Baird of Stuart, Fla.; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. May 15 in the Memorial Chapel at Fort Myer, followed by interment with full military honors at Arlington National cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Col. Beckwith's memory to the American Cancer Society, Attn: Cancer Research, 124 Park St. S.E., Vienna, VA 22180-0699.
Beulah McLaughlin, 81, ex-Arlington County librarian
Beulah McLaughlin died July 21 at her home in Seminole, Fla., of myasthenia gravis complicated by diabetes. She was 81.
She was an Arlington County resident for 40 years and worked for 25 years as a librarian for different county schools. She was a member of Mount Olivet Methodist Church, Mac's Class, the American Association of University Women, the Arlington County Teachers Union and past Bethel Guardian of Bethel 1 of Job's Daughters.
Survivors include her husband of 56 years, Kenneth; two daughters: Karen Metzger of New Philadelphia, Ohio, and Linda Tyler of Treasure Island, Fla.; a granddaughter; and three grandsons.
The memorial service was held July 25 at Freedom Square Town Hall in Seminole, with the Rev. Cliff Melvin officiating.
Gordon S. Brown, 74, Big Brothers officer
Gordon S. Brown, of Fairfax, founder and first president of the Northern Virginia Big Brothers chapter, died of complications from a cancerous brain-stem tumor Monday at the Virginian, an assisted-living center in Fairfax. He was 74.
Born July 29, 1926, in Staten Island, N.Y., he was the son of the late William J. and Isabel Scott Brown. Mr. Brown graduated from Staten Island Academy in 1944. In 1948 he earned a bachelor's degree at Princeton University, and in 1950 received a master's degree at Johns Hopkins School of International Studies.
Mr. Brown worked as a naval intelligence analyst with the U.S. Navy and the Defense Department from 1950 to 1976. In 1974, he began work as a consultant to nonprofit human services organizations, which led him to Big Brothers and 45 years of work with children.
Working with Big Brothers of the National Capital Area, Mr. Brown was a Big Brother to 12 fatherless boys, receiving a ``Big Brother of the Year" award in 1982, a lifetime service award from Big Sisters Big Brothers of America in 1994, and an achievement award from Big Brothers Big Sisters of the National Capital Area in 1998.
Mr. Brown is survived by a nephew and two nieces.
A memorial service will be held April 25 in the chapel at The Virginian Assisted Living Facility, 9229 Arlington Blvd., Farifax. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the National Capital Area, 10210 Greenbelt Road, Suite 900, Lanham, Md. 20706.
Thomas C. Stockham, 71, Lions Club award winner
Thomas C. Stockham, retired president of H and H Maintenance Inc., an Alexandria janitorial service, died of Parkinson's disease and a liver ailment at his Lorton home June 12, the day before he was to receive a prestigious Lions Club award. He was 71.
Born in Dallas, the son of the late James and Eva Stockham, he served for four years in the Air Force at Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas.
Mr. Stockham was active for many years in the Springfield-Franconia Lions Club, operating the Lions telephone information desk for more than 10 years. At the time of his death, he was scheduled to receive the Lions Clubs' ``presidential award for meritorious service rendered to Lionism and humanity." The award was presented posthumously at a June 13 Lions Club dinner in Woodbridge to his son, Thomas Jr. of Millersville, Md.; and his daughter, Colleen Stockham of Lorton.
In addition to his children, Mr. Stockham is survived by his wife, June; a brother, Grant Stockham of Jackson, Mich.; three sisters, Eva Dusek and Jane Stockham, both of Temple, Texas, and Colleen White of Warrenton; six grandchildren; and a number of nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. July 9 at Fort Myer Chapel. Inurnment will follow in the columbarium at Arlington National cemetery.
Patricia Y. Payne, 21, former Fairfax resident
Patricia Yvette Payne, of Stafford County and formerly of Fairfax County, died Friday at Inova Fairfax Hospital of synovial cell sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. She was 21.
A graduate of Falls Church High School, Ms. Payne was known for her passion for life and strong faith in God, despite battling cancer for much of her youth. Ms. Payne played on both the junior varsity and varsity basketball teams in high school, and she was an active member of the Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Fairfax City, where she sang in the church choir.
She was first diagnosed with cancer during her sophomore year in 1995. With an aggressive treatment program of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, her cancer twice went into remission in 1996 and 1999.
Ms. Payne began attending college at Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C., in 1999, but was unable to complete her freshman year after the cancer reappeared. She returned to Stafford to receive additional treatment, and last year began working at Radio Shack in Springfield Mall, where she was a sales manager. Ms. Payne also served as president of the Northern Virginia Baptist Association's Young People's Department from 2000 through this year.
Her family says Ms. Payne maintained a positive outlook throughout the intense cancer treatments that included a bone marrow transplant and more chemotherapy.
``She was the type of person that, even though she was going through a lot and struggling, she never complained," said her mother, Angela Payne. ``She always had a smile on her face."
In addition to her mother, she is survived by her father, Frederick Alexander of Stafford, and two sisters, Celeste Payne of Stafford and Michele Payne of Fairfax.
A wake will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Greater Little Zion Baptist Church, 10185 Zion Drive in Fairfax. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, preceded by a viewing at 10 a.m.
Donations in Ms. Payne's memory can be made to Growing Hope, P.O. Box 151, Fairfax Station 22039-0151.
Virgil Via
Virgil Dean Via of Dumfries died Saturday at Alexandria Hospital. He was 43.
He was a native Virginian who enjoyed fishing. He was the service manager at Landmark Honda where he worked for 17 years.
He is survived by his wife, Marge Via; six daughters: Brandi Via of Fredericksburg, Nicki and Jessica Via, and Jennifer, Rachel and Lauren Byrne, all of Dumfries; his father, Lewis Via of Phoenix, Ariz.; his grandmother, Elizabeth Ginsberg of Phoenix, Ariz.; two sisters: Andrea Walshinsky of Fairfax Station and Susie Harrison of Arlington; one brother, Michael Via of Fairfax; and three grandchildren.
Friends will be received from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Miller Funeral Home and Crematory, 3200 Golansky Blvd. in Woodbridge, where services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday. Interment
will be private.
Arrangements by Miller Funeral Home and Crematory.
