Archive for July, 2019

Francis Joseph Cain

Frank, of Naples, FL and Potomac MD, passed unexpectedly on July 22, 2019 at the age of 85. Frank is the beloved husband of 60 years of Barbara (Cloherty), devoted father of Richard, daughter-in-law Sherry, Ormond Beach, FL and of Sean, Ashburn, VA and loving grandfather of Logan and Gavin. He will be missed by his sorrowing family, by former colleagues and a wide circle of friends.

Frank was born on July 21, 1934 in New York, NY. He spent part of his childhood years in Thomastown, County Kilkenny, Ireland, the home of his dear mother, Bridie Mullins. He met Barbara on St. Patrick’s Day in New York, 1956 and they were married 1959. They have lived in Indiana, Germany, New Jersey, California, Florida, London, UK, and Maryland. They’ve also raised two sons, Richard and Sean and have two grandsons, Logan and Gavin.

Frank was a proud graduate of Manhattan College of Engineering (Civil) in 1956 and a Master’s Degree at Lehigh University in 1958. Frank worked as a civil engineer and manager with Bechtel Corporation for thirty-two years, starting his career in the Refinery and Chemical Division, then moving on to the Hydro and Chemical Facilities. Frank headed up the Waste to Energy Business Line in the 1980’s helping to secure several very large projects for the company during that decade. Frank later rose to the rank of Senior Vice President and directed many national and international projects (including the SEMASS project, Channel Tunnel and the Shoaiba desalination project in Saudi Arabia. Frank transitioned to Bechtel Enterprises and expanded Bechtel’s presence in the privatized power market. He also led the effort to organize a new pipeline development company.

Frank founded the Friends of the Pontifical Irish College Rome, a charity that supported the formation of priests for Ireland and beyond. In recognition of this work, he was appointed a Knight of St. Sylvester by Pope Benedict XVI.  Frank was active with St. William’s Catholic Church in Naples as well as many charities in the community where he and his wife Barbara had retired.

Relatives and friends may call at Our Lady of Mercy Church, 9200 Kentsdale Drive, Potomac, MD, Monday, August 5, beginning 10 a.m. where Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Interment Gate of Heaven Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made in Frank’s name to Manhattan College, St. William’s Catholic Church in Naples, FL. or Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church.

Lorenda White Alisbah

“Lorie”

Loving wife, incomparable mother and the BEST grandmother ever died at her home in Bethesda, MD on July 27, 2019.  She is survived by her sister, Lynne and brother, Kim and her four children, Kathryn, Cemil “Jamie”, Tara and Nimet “Nimi” and her five grandchildren Eden, Patrick, Lindsay, Brendan and JD.

Born in Pittsburg, PA on November 22, 1940, she spent the early years of her life in Park Fairfax, DC.  At the age of eight, her family moved to India, a place she called home and where her family remained until 1968. Lorie attended various schools in India and later attended high school at the Roedean School for Girls in Brighton, England and returned to the U.S for college and earned a BA in Anthropology from American University in 1962.

After graduating, she worked for National Geographic Magazine until she met and married the love of her life, Bilsel Hamdi Alisbah, a Turkish national who worked for the World Bank as a member of the first Young Professionals Program. They were married on June 5, 1965 and began their lives together in Alexandria, VA and later lived in Ankara, Turkey and New Delhi, India before returning to the United States with their four children in 1975 where they remained until her husband’s retirement from the World Bank in 1993.

After her husband retired from the World Bank, they returned to Ankara, Turkey where her husband served as the Director of the Central Bank and later the Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister and then taught at Bilkent University.  The couple returned to the United States and retired in Hilton Head, SC and traveled the world together, going on several exotic trips each year.  After her husband’s death in 2017, she returned to Bethesda, MD to live near three of her children, her grandchildren and countless friends.

Lorie was a force of nature.  Her warmth, energy, caring and indomitable strength and sense of humor and adventure were incomparable. She loved and lived life to the fullest extent.  She lit up every room she walked into with her smile and unforgettable blue eyes.  She made everyone feel at home, brought a smile to everyone’s face and was tirelessly courageous and optimistic. As one of her grandchildren said, “She could make a person’s day perfect just by being a part of it.”  Lorie adored her grandchildren and always put them first.  She would make her special cheesecake for them whenever they asked.  She personified optimism and hope.   She was an incredible cook, avid bridge player, strong swimmer and enjoyed playing tennis and golf. The world has lost a ray of sunshine and her children have lost their rock.

A Memorial Service will be held at St. Francis Episcopal Church of Potomac, 10033 River Road, Potomac, MD on September 6th at 4:00 pm. Memorial contributions may be made to support her bother’s fundraising efforts in remote hill tribe villages in Thailand.  Please mail checks made out to “Road to a Better Life” to Kathryn Alisbah, 8921 Holly Leaf Lane, Bethesda, MD  20817. Please include Acct #058157959 in the Memo line. Donations are tax deductible.

Please Click Here to View and Sign Online Guestbook

Ashley Gene Lyvers (Age 22)

Ashley passed away peacefully  waiting for a lung transplant on  Friday, July 26, 2019 after a long battle with Cystic Fibrosis. Life partner of David Dominguez; beloved daughter of Stephanie Lyvers; sister of Armanda Lyvers and Stephen Smestad; granddaughter of Debra and Steven Rahmoeller; aunt of Sprout Brown, She is also survived by her faire dad Thomas; friends from life, Navy faire and many other loving relatives. A celebration of Ashley’s life will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 4550 Montgomery Avenue, Suite 1100-N, Bethesda, MD 20814.

Please Click Here to View and Sign Online Guestbook

ROBERT R. PETERSON

On Sunday, July 21st, 2019, Robert Roosevelt Peterson (“Bob”), beloved husband of the late Pura Gonzales Peterson, father of Erick Gonzales Peterson, and father-in-law of Christina Pitrelli, passed away peacefully at his home in Rockville, MD.

The eleventh and youngest child of the late Mary Brown Peterson and Pearlie Peterson, Bob was born and raised in Council, North Carolina, where he grew up on his family’s farm and enjoyed playing sports, especially baseball and basketball. He attended Booker T. Washington High School and worshipped with his family and community at Jerusalem Baptist Church.

After moving to Washington, DC and graduating from Howard University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Bob briefly returned to North Carolina and worked as a school teacher before joining the Peace Corps and serving in the Philippines, where he taught new pedagogical methods in mathematics to school teachers in the province of Nueva Ecija. There, he met his wife, Pura Cruz Gonzales, a school teacher, as well as her eldest sister, the late Cora Geller, a school principal, and their youngest sister, Metila Foulke, both of whom would become lifelong friends as well as his beloved sisters-in-law.

Upon concluding his Peace Corps service, Bob returned to the U.S., completing a fellowship at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio and postgraduate studies at Haverford College in Haverford, Pennsylvania, before marrying Pura in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Together, they moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where Bob earned his Master’s degree from the University of Michigan School of Public Health and welcomed into the world his son and only child, Erick.

Following his graduation, Bob left Ann Arbor with Pura and Erick for Kampala, Uganda. He taught at the Makerere University School of Medicine in Kampala before political upheaval in Uganda led him and his family to Nairobi, Kenya. There, he would begin a long and fruitful career as a United Nations adviser to the Kenyan government as well as a three-year assignment with the UN in Mauritius. During this time, Bob gave his family many wonderful experiences and cherished memories as members of a vibrant international community and through extensive travel to various parts of Africa and Europe.

Upon returning to the U.S. and retiring from the UN, Bob became a financial advisor with Primerica Financial Services in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, a career which he enjoyed immensely right up until his death.

In addition to his son and daughter-in-law, Bob is survived by his beloved sisters and brothers, Berline Peterson Graham, Alton Peterson, Elijah Peterson, and Frances Peterson; his sister-in-law, Metila Foulke and her husband Joe; his many nieces, nephews, and cousins; and his loving friends, too numerous to name here but each one special and dear to his heart.

Besides his loving wife and parents, Bob was also predeceased by his beloved stepmother, Naomi Blue Peterson, as well as his siblings, Roy Peterson, Daniel Peterson, Benjamin Peterson, Herman Peterson, Abram Peterson, and Mary Maybell Peterson Perry.

Bob was a warm, fun-loving man with a sharp sense of humor. He was a great listener, a wonderful storyteller, and a wise counselor. A man of strong faith who was generous and loved to encourage others, Bob will be greatly missed by many.

A memorial service was held Saturday, August 10, at Tabernacle Believers Holiness Church, 549 Youngstown Road in Riegelwood.

Another memorial service is scheduled Thursday, August 15, from noon to 4 p.m. at Sligo-Dennis Recreation Center, 10200 Sligo Creek Parkway in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Please Click Here to View and Sign Online Guestbook

ETHEL S. GINSBURG (Age 88)

On Sunday, July 28, 2019, of Silver Spring, MD. Beloved wife of Jerome Ginsburg; mother of David (Cyndy) and Steve (Jordana) Ginsburg; sister of Howard (Sandy) Stern; grandmother of Jarren (Edna) Ginsburg. Relatives and friends may call at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring, MD, (Valet Parking), on Wednesday, July 31 from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 pm.

Janet Marie Grillbortzer (Age 63)  

Of Silver Spring, MD, passed away on Thursday, July 25, 2019. Beloved daughter of Mary C. and the late William E. Grillbortzer, Jr.; sister of the late James E. Grillbortzer and John P. Grillbortzer, Sr. Also survived by two nieces and multiple great-nieces and nephews. A Graveside Service will be held at Gate of Heaven Cemetery Chapel, 13801 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD, on Monday, July 29 at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital .

Please Click Here to View and Sign Online Guestbook

Rita Hoy Sewell  
(neé Widmayer) (Age 92)  

On Saturday, July 27, 2019, of Silver Spring, MD. Beloved wife of the late Edward J. Hoy and the late Bernard W. Sewell; mother of Kathy Hoy-Marcus, Edward J. Hoy III, Barbara H. Kuhn, James P. Hoy, and the late Paul W. Hoy; mother-in-law of Lon Marcus, Karen Hoy, Patrick Kuhn, Honore Hoy and Sarah Trimble; grandmother of 18 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Also survived by many loving family members and friends. Relatives and friends may call at Our Lady of Grace, 15661 Norbeck Blvd, Silver Spring, MD, 20906 on Thursday, August 1, from 10 to 11 a.m. where Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Interment Gate of Heaven Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Montgomery Hospice Casey House, 1355 Piccard Drive, Suite 100, Rockville, MD 20850.

Please Click Here to View and Sign Online Guestbook

Jerry Ann Gaynes (Age 73)

Of Clarksburg, WV, received her wings and returned home to the Lord, after a long illness, on Saturday, July 20, 2019. She leaves behind many loved ones. Mother of Darrell Tipton and wife Tammy, Grandmother of Brandon Tipton and wife Jazmine, Wife of Gordon Gaynes, his children Patrick  and Sasha, and five grandchildren;  Former Wife of Robert G. Tipton;  Sister of Francis Bowe, Ruby Arcuri, Glenn Garretson, and Dreama Jenkins;  many nieces , nephews, friends, church family, former co-workers, and anyone who was ever blessed with her presence.

Friday, August 2, 2019, family, friends, and loved ones may join in laying her to rest at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University  Boulevard West, Silver Spring, Maryland.  Public viewing from 10:00-11:00 a.m., Memorial Service at 11:00 a.m., followed by short service at Parklawn Memorial Park, 12800 Viers Mill Road, Rockville, Maryland 20853.

Dr. Benedicta O. Meneses (Age 78)

On Tuesday, July 23, 2019, of Takoma Park, MD.  Beloved wife of Emerito Meneses; mother of Christopher, Christina, Frank (Sherry), and Mike.  Also survived by one grandchild. Dr. Meneses retired from D.C. General Hospital in 1995, and continued her career at Buckley’s Renewal Service. She was an active member of Our Lady of Sorrows Church. She enjoyed gardening, travel, reading and playing the piano. She is survived by many friends and a large extended family.

Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, New Hampshire & Larch Avenues, Takoma Park, MD, on Friday, July 26, 2019 at 2 pm.  Relatives and friends may call at  Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring, MD, (Valet Parking), Saturday, July 27, 2019, from 2 to 4 pm.   Interment private.  Memorial contributions may be made to Save the Whales or other environmental organizations.

Neslin Hyacinth Brown (Age 73)

On Tuesday, July 23, 2019, of Severn, MD.  Beloved wife of the late William L. Brown; mother of Christopher Allen, Navia Burris, Gregory Barrett and Joseph Brown, III; mother-in-law of Petra and Carl; grandmother of Trever, Christopher, Brandon, Tasha, Elexus, Carl, Natalia and Jasmine; great-grandmother of Talia, Taniya, Landon, Delylah and Andre; daughter of Freda and the late Wilbert Phillips; sister of Faithlyn and David Phillips.  Also survived by many nieces and nephews. Relatives and friends may call at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring, MD, Monday, July 29, 2019 from 10:30 to 11 a.m., where a Funeral Service will be held at 11 a.m.  Interment Parklawn Memorial Park.

Thomas Leroy Suddath (Age 68)

On Thursday, July 18, 2019, Thomas L Suddath of Olney, MD.  Beloved husband of Nancy J. Suddath; loving father of Patrick Thomas, Katie O’Neil MacGregor (Scott);  grandfather of Thomas Peyton MacGregor;   brother of William O’Neil Suddath, Stephen Howle Suddath, and Michael O’Neil Suddath;  brother-in-law of Kathleen Ann Carter, John K Broderick;  Also survived by many loving family members and friends.  Relatives and friends may call at St. Peter’s Church, 2900 Sandy Spring Road, Olney, MD, 20832,  Wednesday, July 24, from 4 to 7 pm  where Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, July 25, at 10 am.  Interment Gate of Heaven Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made in memory of Thomas L. Suddath to:  HEROES, Inc.  1200 29th St N.W.  Washington, D.C. 20007.