Recognized as Best Virginia SAR Website 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Honoring our Chapter Compatriots |
2023 |
George Washington Chapter member Virgil "Pete" Farley (March 7, 1943 - November 7, 2023) passed away in Williamsburg, Virginia at the age of 80 years old. He was inducted into the Chapter in November 2017 and two months later he was the Chapter Newsletter Editor. Pete's career and personal interests going back to high school focused upon printing. He entered a 4-year apprenticeship program through The International Typographical Union, becoming a skilled Journeyman Printer. After employment in various printing shops and newspapers in West Virginia and Virginia, he joined the print department at The Wall Street Journal in Silver Spring, Maryland in 1973 just as the days of hot metal typography were coming to an end due to the arrival of the computer era. Eventually, he started his own business as a consultant of Graphics and Printing and spent the last fifteen years of his career at the Defense Logistics Agency at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. From early childhood, Pete was an avid collector of baseball cards (and was one of the fortunate whose mother did not toss out his collection). His collection of cards and baseball memorabilia continued his entire life. He was a baseball super-fan and particularly loved the Yankees of the 1950s-60s. Pete maintained an avid interest in both history and ancestry. Over the years he was a devoted supporter of organizations such as The Friends of Mount Vernon, The Mosby Heritage Area Association, Civil War Trust, National Baseball Hall of Fame and the Society of American Baseball Research. Pete was honored by Virginia SAR as the 2022 Newsletter Editor of the Year. He is survived by his devoted wife of 40 years, Carol Simpson Farley; son, Jeffrey C. Farley (Paula) of Virginia Beach, VA; daughter, Nanette Farley Lucas, of Tallahassee, FL; stepsons, John Reedy (Kari) of Ayden, NC, and Matthew Reedy (Julie) of Midlothian, VA; and seven grandchildren. Additional information can be found here in his online obituary: https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/29968751/virgil-c-farley |
Past Virginia Society President Donald W. Baldwin passed away on April 17, 2023 at the age of 93. Don was one of the earliest, longest-standing, and most dedicated members of the George Washington Chapter. Born in Danville, VA on May 18, 1929, Don became a Chapter member in 1960 and served as Chapter President in 1963. After his tenure, he continued his service to the Sons of the American Revolution, serving as Virginia SAR President 1969-70 and subsequently as Vice President General of the Mid-Atlantic District. Don’s Virginia SAR legacy continues to live on through the Donald W. Baldwin Award, given annually to the Virginia SAR Chapter with the largest membership increase. Don continued to be a regular attendee at Chapter and State meetings and events for six decades before eventually moving to Kettering, OH in 2020. For more recent Virginia SAR members, however, Don was likely best known for the introduction he typically received during the annual July 4th March to the Tomb and Wreath Laying at Mount Vernon as “the George Washington Chapter President when the first such commemoration was held” in the early 1960’s.Don was an alumnus of both VMI and the University of Virginia and served two years in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He worked as an Administrative Assistant to two Republican members of the House of Representatives before joining the National Forest Products Association, working later at the White House Conference of Food, Nutrition, and Health under Richard M. Nixon, and eventually founding Donald Baldwin Associates. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Joan (Jody) Bolling Baldwin; son, Alan H. Baldwin; and daughter Elizabeth B. Chryst. His eldest son, Winston M. Baldwin, preceded him in death. He is also survived by his daughter-in-law Kate E. Baldwin, seven grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. |
2021 |
William F. Vosbeck, Jr. peacefully passed away in his sleep Dec. 15, 2021, at The Fairfax Retirement Community in Ft. Belvoir, Virginia. Bill was born in Mankato, Minnesota, May 13, 1924. It was at the end of high school when he met his future wife, Elizabeth (Betty) Just. Together they attended the University of Minnesota and upon graduating they married, a marriage that lasted 74 years. While still in college, Bill enlisted with the US Marine Corps. After leaving the Marines, he convinced his younger brother, Randy, also an architect, to come to the East Coast. Together they formed their own architectural firm, Vosbeck, Vosbeck & Associates. Bill was a member of the George Washington Chapter, SAR for 25 years, his Revolutionary War patriot, Jonathan Parke served as a Private in the Chester County, PA troops. William F. Vosbeck, Jr Memorial Biography |
James Patrick Barry, 90, passed away on June 27, 2021. The family didn’t provide an obituary as a memorial. James was a member of the George Washington Chapter, SAR for 12 years, his Revolutionary War patriot, Michael Kiser, was a Private in the Philadelphia County, PA militia. |
Past Commander Robert L. Fitton, AP, passed away on April 26, 2021 at age 89. Bob joined the Northern Virginia Power Squadron in 1994 and immediately became an active member. He served as Administrative Officer in 1998 and Executive Officer in 1999 before becoming Commander in 2000. Robert was a member of the George Washington Chapter, SAR for 26 years, his Revolutionary War patriot, Richard Marshall, served in the Maryland Continental Line. |
Brendan Patrick Johnson, passed away at the age of 27 on March 9, 2021. Brendan was born January 16th in Florida, and grew up in the D.C. area beginning in third grade. He attended St. James Catholic School (‘08), Gonzaga College High School (‘12), and Dartmouth College (‘16), where he majored in History with a Religion minor. After college, Brendan grew in his love for Washington, D.C., and he could often be found sporting WFT, Nats, or Caps paraphernalia. He worked with PNC Realty Investors in their Washington office. He found hope in his faith, attending Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in D.C., and truly cared for the least of the brothers of Christ. Brendan Patrick Johnson Memorial Biography |