Remembering those who died in 2008

» Each year, Culpeper is diminished a little by the passing of local residents. Some of the folks who left us were well known in the community. Others were known only to family and friends. Some passed full of years, after a long and successful life. Others died in their youth. We are able to mention only a very few here, but they are representative of all who died in 2008. Each has one thing in common — they will be missed.

JANUARY
John T. Dailey, a behavioral scientist, died Jan. 4 at the age of 91. He developed a behavioral profile to detect potential aircraft hijackers and for 12 years was a school teacher, administrator and coach. For 25 years he was president of the Allington Corp., publisher of psychological and educational tests and training materials. He retired to his home, Beaufort, in Culpeper County and was a member of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church.

Jeri Bradley, a local TV personality, died Jan. 14 at the age of 59. Bradley teamed with her husband, Al Gaige, to create “That Culpeper Feeling,” a popular slice-of-life program that ran for 10 years on cable access Channel 21. In 2002, Bradley and Gaige created their own TV enterprise: Channel 23.

FEBRUARY
Dorothy June Boldridge Stallings died Feb. 23 at the age of 81. Stallings was known for her retail career working at Stallings Flower Co., The Fashion Shoppe, Betty Brown’s Flowers, Randy’s Flowers and Petersen Jewelers. She also authored several books on poetry, local history and her life growing up in a country store.
march

Bill Jagdman Sr. died March 6 at the age of 76. Jagdman was the face behind many local military burials as commander of the American Legion Post 330 Honor Guard. He served five years in the Army, most of it in Panama as part of the 33rd Infantry Regiment Combat Team. Jadgman was also a lieutenant colonel in the Virginia State Defense Force.

George P. Beard Jr. died March 26 at the age of 86. Beard was a longtime banker who served as delegate to the General Assembly. He also fought in World War II as an Army infantryman. Beard helped found Culpeper Memorial Hospital and was the third recipient of the Chamber of Commerce’s L.B. Henretty Award, given yearly to the county’s outstanding citizen.

APRIL
Emory Wood died April 17 when his personal aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Warrenton Air Park. He was 65. Wood, who had recently retired, owned and operated The Barter Post at various locations along Davis Street.

Anne Chelf died April 29 at the age of 88. Chelf, a Culpeper native, was a retired U.S. Navy commander who served as a nurse during World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam. Chelf loved animals and gardening and had restored her family’s East Street home to pristine condition.

MAY
Samuel Lanham died May 7 at the age of 81. Lanham owned The Village Store in Griffinsburg from 1988 until 1994. After moving to Culpeper in 1956, he operated the Blue Ridge Home Improvement Company. Lanham received a Purple Heart and Bronze Star in World War II as a heavy machine gunner in the 255th Infantry, 63rd Division.

Herb Hash died May 20 at the age of 97. He was born in Boston, Mass., but made his home in Boston, Va., for close to 60 years. Hash pitched two seasons with the Boston Red Sox. At the time of his death, he was the oldest former Red Sox player. Hash was a four-part star at the University of Richmond and is in the school’s athletic hall of fame. He started the Hazel River summer camp for boys.

JUNE
Lee Linthicum, a senior draftsman for 28 years at Superior Ironworks, died June 10 at the age of 47. Linthicum’s battle with Lou Gehrig’s Disease was chronicled in a series of stories in the Star-Exponent. He also documented the progress of his disease and its affects in an online blog.

Ina Kate Carter died June 11 at the age of 68. Carter won the most girls high school basketball games (526) of any Virginia coach. She also coached track, tennis and softball and is a member of the Virginia High School Hall of Fame. Carter spent many years teaching physical education, and in 2003 the Culpeper Middle School gym was named in her honor.

JULY
William Powell died July 12 at the age of 85. Powell served in the Navy during World War II and graduated from the University of Maryland-Baltimore College of Dental Surgery at the top of his class in 1952. Powell and his wife, Elizabeth, donated $3.8 million toward the construction of the wellness center in Culpeper that bears their name.

AUGUST
Ruth “Bootsie” Rosson Troilo died Aug. 11 at the age of 86. In 1928 her family established Rosson’s gas station and ice house, which became Rosson-Troilo Motor Co. in 1945. Troilo was instrumental in bringing the Soap Box Derby back to Culpeper. She sewed uniforms for the Brandy Station Bears baseball team, started by her husband, Joe, in 1960. Troilo was an avid golfer and had a number of holes in one.

Dakota Hansen died Aug. 9 at the age of 6. She was swimming at a former quarry in Strasburg and drowned while on a trip with her family. Dakota was the sister of Culpeper County High School track star Dira Hansen, a freshman at Christopher Newport University.

Kelsey Jean-Marie Orndorff died Aug. 29 at the age of 17. Orndorff, a senior at Fredericksburg Christian High School, was killed in a car wreck on Route 3. Orndorff was a star student, three-sport athlete and co-president of the Culpeper United Methodist Church youth group. Her father, Randy, pastors the church. Orndorff served on nine mission teams and was a founding member of the praise band Satellite 29.

NOVEMBER
Karen Coleman Conner died Nov. 15 from a stroke at the age of 57. She was an educator for more than 30 years — the last eight with Culpeper County Public Schools. At the time of her death, Conner taught fourth grade at Emerald Hill Elementary School.

DECEMBER
Arnold E. Wirtala died Dec. 2 at the age of 85. He was the founding president of Germanna Community College, where he served from 1969 to 1980. He fought in World War II with the 117th Armored Group, 3rd Battalion and saw combat in Normandy and at the Battle of the Bulge. He was instrumental in the college locating its main campus at Locust Grove.