In Memoriam
The following are club members who have passed on to that virgin camp in the sky. They are deeply missed yet we feel fortunate for the opportunity to have known them. We thank them for their unselfish contributions to our club. RIP!
George Sempeles
George Manuel Sempeles, 60, of Clear Brook, Virginia passed away Wednesday, April 3, 2019, at Inova Fairfax Hospital. George was born in 1958 in Winchester, Virginia, the son of Florine Sempeles and the late Manuel Sempeles. George was fascinated with history and was an avid Civil War buff, learning about relic hunting and collecting from his father. He could build practically anything with his hands and liked spending time creating historically accurate guns, swords, and his own ammunition. George was a member of the North-South Skirmish Association’s 5th Virginia Volunteer Infantry competitive shooting team. He loved his church and was a member of Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church, where he was Vice-President of the Parish Council, past president of the Council, and Chairman of the Greek Festival for many years.
John Butterfield
John Lloyd Butterfield 65, of Herndon, VA, passed away suddenly at home surrounded by his family on Monday, June 25, 2018. Born on March 19, 1953 in Portsmouth, Virginia he was the son of the late Lloyd Butterfield and the late Gloria Mayette Butterfield. He was preceded in death by his sister in law, Karen Butterfield. John attended Winchester, Massachusetts schools early on as his father was in the Navy and stationed in Massachusetts. The family later moved to Virginia where he graduated from Yorktown High School. He was a graduate of the University of Richmond with a B.A. in English. He received his M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision from the University of Virginia. He was an English educator and administrator for 30 years, having taught in Henrico County Public Schools, Loudon County Public Schools, and Fairfax County Public Schools. He retired from Westfield High School in 2009. He continued to substitute at Westfield High School, Herndon Middle School, Herndon High School, and Fairfax County Interagency schools till his passing. John was active in the Northern Virginia Relic Hunters Association, Westfield Theatre Boosters, Boy Scout Troop 160, Order of the Arrow, and served on the board providing leadership with local teacher associations, AFT and FEA. He was also a brother in Sigma Alpha Epsilon. John loved spending time at the family camp and visiting his relatives at Lake Dunmore in East Salisbury, Vermont. He was an avid tag sale goer and would buy the most obscure tools. He was known to use those weird tools and his “MacGyvering” skills to fix the old camp’s many issues. He enjoyed tinkering with his old cars. Building the sets for Westfield Theater productions with his son, Alex was one of his favorite past times. He went on many Troop 160 campouts with his sons, Stewart and Alex. He could be found watching his daughter, Amelia, play soccer and volleyball. He enjoyed metal detecting for Colonial and Civil War artifacts. John wanted to share with his students his love and compassion for Shakespeare and the art of writing. He enjoyed watching his favorite football team, the New England Patriots.
Richard Hammond
HOWARD crouch
Howard Crouch (1949-2014) was a collector, historian, and author of over 15 books on history and Civil War relics. Howard was a past NVRHA president and board member. He was well-loved by the relic hunting community and was considered an authority on Civil War relics and Civil War history in Virginia.
William (Bill) Boyd Ritenour
William (Bill) Boyd Ritenour On Wednesday, August 9, 2017, 79, of Florence, SC went home. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Peggy Lee (Beeler) Ritenour and his daughters, Mona Lisa Ritenour of Memphis, TN, Susette Lee Ritenour of Centreville, VA, and his sister, Connie Ritenour Boyd of Winchester,VA. He is now reunited with his mother, Goldie Geneva (Whitmer) Ritenour and father, Vernon Boyd Ritenour both of Strasburg, VA. Bill is a graduate of Strasburg High School and grew up in the Shenandoah Valley. A Vietnam Veteran, he volunteered to serve his country in the United States Air Force, stationed at Soesterberg Air Force Base in Holland for four years and then Turner Air Force Base in GA. In 1967, Bill left the Air Force to focus on family life. As a master craftsman, Bill specialized in fireplaces and facades. After retiring from masonry, he worked for Maintenance and Storm Water Management with Fairfax County and retired after 21 years.
Richard Raymond "Rick" Wines
Rick Wines Richard Raymond “Rick” Wines, 58 of Jeffersonton, VA passed away on May 7, 2017 at the Fauquier Hospital. He was born on April 5, 1959 in Warrenton, VA a son of Mattie Mae Robinson Wines of Warrenton and the late Robert Lee “Buck” Wines. Rick was the Superintendent for Utilities for the Town of Warrenton. He was a devoted member and Deacon at Jeffersonton Baptist Church and had a lifelong interest in the Civil War.
Don London
Don London, age 69, passed away November 30, 2013, at his home in Ocean Pines. Don was a club member and former NVRHA club president. Born in Newport News, VA, he was the son of the late Woody David London and Leila Yeatts London. He is survived by his beloved wife Nancy Jo Bell-London of Sterling, VA and Ocean Pines, MD. He is also survived by his brothers, Harry “Jack” London and his wife Jane of Hampton, VA, Harold London and his beloved companion, Sylvia Saul of Deland, FL, and Pete London of Ft. Washington, MD, and several nieces and nephews and a sister-in-law Shirley London of Newport News, VA. He was preceded in death by a brother, Woody David London. Mr. London had worked as an I.T. data center manager with BAE Systems in Virginia. He had been active with Mosby’s Rangers, a civil war reenactment group and Past President of the Northern Virginia Relic Hunters Association. Cremation followed his death.
Kevin Connolly
Kevin Connolly passed away on April 5th, 2013. He was from of Alexandria, VA formally of Winthrop, MA. Beloved husband of the late Carol Ann Connoly; father of Sean. Brian, Kevin and Susan Connolly, grandfather of Shannon, Kevin Patrick, Clare and Caroline Connolly. 5755 Castlewellan Dr. Alexandria, VA.
STEPHEN JOSEPH HUDAK, III "Steve"
STEPHEN JOSEPH HUDAK, III “Steve” Of Centreville, VA passed away on April 6, 2011. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Cynthia Szymanski; one son, Stephen IV; his brother Richard Hudak “Rick” and his wife Sharon; and his brother James “Jim”. A 1973 graduate of George Mason University and a 1978 graduate of the University of Illinois, he was retired after 30+ years of Federal Government service as a chemist/program analyst with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Justice, DEA.
Eddie Wilder, Sr.
Eddie Wilder, Sr. On Sunday, November 7, 2010, a longtime resident of Alexandria, VA. He is survived by his beloved wife, Dianne Love, his caring sons, Eddie Lane, Jr. of Alpharetta, GA, Don Chandler and Paul Andrew of Alexandria, VA. He is also survived by his cherished grandchildren, Chandler David, Emily Dianne, Thomas Alexander, and Ryan Andrew.
John Brady
John Brady, 76, of Scranton, formerly of Camp Hill, died Tuesday, July 20, 2010 at Gino J. Merli Veterans Center, Scranton. He was a retired Accident and Malpractice Investigator from Hartford Insurance, Washington, D.C. He loved baseball and was a Civil War buff. He was born June 30, 1934 in Essex, England to the late Frank and Elizabeth (Mannion) Brady. He is survived by two sons, Michael J. of Fullerton, CA and Kyle J. of Atlantic Beach, FL; two daughters, Jennifer A. Sholly of Etters and Carolyn V. Hentz of Dillsburg; and seven grandchildren.
Belle McLaughlin
Belle McLaughlin, wife of member and past president Tom McLaughlin, died of cancer at age 55. Belle was also club historian for most of the 1990s. Belle was always happy and cheerful and was loved by NVRHA members.
William G. "Bill" Gavin
William G. “Bill” Gavin, age 85, passed away on Monday, February 8, 2010. Bill was one of the original members of the NVRHA and it’s first guest speaker. In 1963 Bill published “Accoutrement Plates North and South” which was the first comprehensive reference book on the subject.
Katharina Elizabeth Keene
Katharina Elizabeth Keene, Dataw Island, SC Katharina Elizabeth Keene, 77, died Friday, November 20, 2009 at the Roper St. Francis Hospital, Charleston, SC. Kathy, as known to her many friends, was born January 1, 1932 in Hochspeyer, Germany. She was the only child of the late Otto and Magdalena Sprengart. Kathy graduated with honors from both the Gymnasium and Dolemetscher, where she majored in languages. She was employed by the U.S. Army as a tri-lingual military and civilian court recorder in Kaiserslautern, Germany. She married her husband Arthur in 1956 who was then serving in the U.S. Army. Accompanying her husband, Kathy arrived in the United States on the 4th of July, 1956. She applied for and received her American citizenship in 1959. For many years she was employed by a patent law firm in Washington, D.C. as a technical translator before retiring in 1990.
JOSEPH EDWARD GRAY
JOSEPH EDWARD GRAY, age 81, passed away on Sunday, May 17, 2009 at his residence surrounded by his loved ones, in Manassas, Virginia. Mr. Gray served on a Liberty Ship during World War II. Mr. Gray served in both the Merchant Marines and the U.S. Navy. Mr. Gray was born in Washington, D.C. on July 23, 1927. He retired as a Building Engineer in the Heating and Air Conditioning Industry. He was a member of the Sudley United Methodist Church.
WILLIAM "Bill" F. McGUINN
WILLIAM (Bill) F. McGUINN of McLean, VA., passed away on Sunday, January 18, 2009. He was a retired CIA Analyst, OSI 1951 through 1980. A descendant of John Henry Lunceford, one of Mosby’s Rangers and an expert on American military button makers and goods dealers. Beloved husband of Rosa Lee McGuinn; devoted father of Debra M. (Hughes) Pierce and Janis M. (Philip J.) Theunissen; grandfather of Emma Lee Theunissen.
JOHN FRANCIS GRAHAM
JOHN FRANCIS GRAHAM, age 59, passed away suddenly on January 17, 2009 in Alexandria, VA. He was a former Cub Scouts Pack #614 Den Leader, former member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, past President and Show Chairman of the NVRHA for more than 20 years, an Attorney with the U.S. Treasury Department and civil war enthusiast. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. and Mrs. Arthur V. Graham of Brooklyn, NY. He is survived by his loving wife of 20 years, Leslie Joseph Graham; beloved son Edward Joseph Graham; dear siblings Mary Jane, Arthur and James Graham as well as many nieces, nephews and several close friends.
James T. Wilson
Jimmy, as he was known to his friends, would often comically call others Turkey, especially when they dug a good relic. But Jimmy was also called Dorkus, a name that was affectionately given to him by his brother. Jimmy passed away on September 22, 2022, at the age of 83. He was born in Iowa and raised in Alexandria and Arlington, Virginia. He was a talented basketball player and starter at Washington Lee High School in Arlington and at Bridgewater College in the Shenandoah Valley. He owned and operated Rebel Coins in Manassas, Virginia for more than fifty years.
Frank Leo Davido
Frank Leo Davido passed away peacefully on September 14, 2022. Frank was born on November 22, 1940 in Ridgway Pennsylvania. He was the son of Frank and Esther Davido. His parents operated a restaurant in town for 30 years. Frank attended St. Leo’s school in Ridgway, participating in football and Boy Scouts. He later attended West Virginia University and received both a bachelors and masters degree in biology. After a short stint teaching, he was hired by the USDA’s Pesticide Regulation Division. Then he continued on with the EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs, where he helped develop a Pesticide Protection Training Manual for Health Personnel. During his 42 years working for EPA he represented them on the National Food and Safety Project, was a pesticide expert to the NATO Committee for Challenges of Modern Society.
Later he became Chief of the Data Management Section, with the Pesticide Episode Response Branch. Other responsibilities during his career, included operating the Pesticide Accident Surveillance System, supervising the National Hazard Assessment Program and establishing the Pesticide Farm Worker Safety Center. He later became a Pesticide Incident Response Officer, a position he held for over 25 years. His love of history led him to discover the hobby of metal detecting and he quickly became obsessed with finding and documenting information about Civil War artifacts. He became president of the Northern Virginia Relic Hunters Association, the first organization of its kind in the United States, with over 200 members. He was president for an unprecedented 12 years. He was also an avid hunter and outdoorsman. He loved photography, which was an early interest in high school that later turned into a thriving business.
John Albert Ward, Jr.
John Albert Ward, Jr., 71, a long time resident of Aldie, VA, passed away July 25, 2022 at the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, surrounded by family and knowing that he was loved dearly by his family and friends. He fought aggressively against his battle with stage 4 lung cancer, which later metastasized to his spinal fluid, a relatively rare occurrence.
Born August 2, 1950, he was the son of Claudette Crouch Ward and the late John Albert Ward, Sr. He grew up in Fairfax, VA the eldest of 8 children, and was interested in genealogy and American History. He graduated from W. T. Woodson High School in 1969, and was drafted in the U.S. Army where he served his country during the Vietnam War.
John was a man that took pride in his heritage, his family, his community, and his country. He was a former member of the Centreville Volunteer Fire Department, Co. 17. As an avid Civil War relic collector and re-enactor, he shared his experiences and knowledge while being a curator at the Stuart Mosby Museum. He was a member and participated in various historical groups – American Legion – Post 34, Grande du Virginia – 40&8, Sons of the Confederacy, Relic Club, Stuart Mosby Historical Society, and the Historic Centreville Society. He enjoyed watching NASCAR and was a frequent spectator at various NASCAR events.
Charles A. Thompson
Charles A. Thompson, a United States Navy Vietnam War veteran, 30-year civil servant, and unapologetic Christian, died peacefully and surrounded by his family on August 21. He was the beloved husband of Debra Thompson, loving father of son Charles Thompson, daughter Judi Pruitt, and step daughter Jeannette Blacker, and loving brother of Cheryl Thompson and the late Foster Thompson. He is also survived by seven grandchildren, Kristina, Mikki, Dylan, Keili, Ashley, Zachary and James.
Born in Carbondale, Pennsylvania on March 26, 1944, to the late Charles and Reba Thompson, he was a graduate of the Monterey High School Class of 1962. He served two tours in the Vietnam War as a US Navy Diver and Executive Officer of Harbor Clearance Unit 1. Following his time in the military, Charles performed engineering work with the United States Navy. He was an Elder at the Reformed Presbyterian Church and was devout and unabashed in his faith to his Lord and Savior.
He was an avid, renowned and life-long relic hunter and passionate about Civil War, WWI and WWII history.
Richard Allen Wormcke
Richard Allen Wormcke, age 94 of Gainesville, VA passed away peacefully at his home on December 6, 2023. He was born on February 22, 1929 in Washington, D.C. to the late John Henry Wormcke and Isabelle Broaddus Wormcke.
Richard was an avid hobbyist with a wide range of talents, some of which included Civil War relics, hunting, and recently took up coloring. He was honored to serve his country in the United States Air Force for four years, before beginning a career as an Engraver for the Geological Survey. He ended up working there for 39 years. Richard truly enjoyed and lived his retirement to the fullest.
Michael Joseph O'Donnell
Michael Joseph O’Donnell, 71, passed away on Thursday, June 16, 2022, with family around him, in Alexandria, Virginia. Mike was born on October 16, 1950. He was in the first graduating class of Saint Louis Catholic School. He attended Gonzaga College High School and Washington and Lee University where he played linebacker on the football team and graduated in 1972 with a degree in history. His life-long passion for Civil War soldiers and their artifacts began when he kicked up a Minie ball bullet on the Saint Louis playground. After college, he purchased an early, home-made metal detector and began “hunting” on the Wilderness, Chancellorsville and Bull Run battlefields, and vast Civil War campsites in Stafford, Orange and Franconia, as the land was being cleared for suburban development.
A lifelong Virginian, Mike said he could still see the trenches and felt the presence of those who fought and died there. He became an authority on Civil War buttons, buckles, artillery shells and insignia, and published many books describing and cataloging them, doing the writing, photography, layout and design himself. Mike, a natural raconteur, said “just make it interesting.” He captivated nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters and others with his colorful historical stories. For at least the last two decades of her life, Mike took over the personal care of his mother, Dorothy Krafft O’Donnell, who predeceased him by six months in December 2021 at age 103.