Remembering Gil McCutcheon

McCutcheon, 95, served as the Mount Vernon commissioner on the Fairfax County Park Authority Board until 2010.

Gil McCutcheon, 95, passed away on Wednesday night. McCutcheon served as the Mount Vernon commissioner on the Fairfax County Park Authority Board for 18 years and was an instrumental part of many local projects, including the acquisition and planning of Laurel Hill. Born in Alton, Illinois, McCutcheon studied engineering at the Virginia Military Institute. He received a degree in public administration from UNC-Chapel Hill and also studied personnel administration and labor relations at Columbia University. He has been a resident of Fairfax County for almost 60 years. He worked as a collective bargaining agent for the State of New Jersey and went on to work for the Commission for Conciliation at the U.S. Department of Labor; Federal …

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Community Champion Stephen Hartwell Dies

He was a driving force in Fairfax County

Lifelong community leader Stephen Hartwell died peacefully at age 96 on Dec. 14, at his home, Riversedge, at Mt. Vernon, Virginia. Mr. Hartwell, a former chair of the Fairfax County Planning Commission, was conceived in Paris during World War 1 and was born in Philadelphia, PA on April 15, 1915.  "He was a kind, generous and wonderful man, and he will be dearly missed," said Mr. Hartwell's son, Rob. "One thing that happened this evening that I have never witnessed before, at about the time he passed away, was a flock of 14 Bald Eagles flying together, and thought it was an omen of some kind. They were flying through my back yard on course directly for his house, albeit a few miles away."  Mr. Hartwell graduated from the Lafayette College …

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Mount Vernon High School Celebrates Student's Life

MVHS will hold a Celebration of Life ceremony in memory of Joshua Guice.

This evening Mount Vernon High School will celebrate the life of Joshua Guice, 16, a former student who died from injuries sustained in a house fire at Fort Belvoir on Dec. 5. Joshua Tyler Guice was born on Feb. 15, 1995, in Aniston, Ala. He was raised in Quinlan, Texas, where he attended Ford High School before moving to Fort Belvoir this past summer. He came to Fort Belvoir to help his sister take care of his nephew while she was recovering from surgery. Guice started his junior year at MVHS in September.  Josh's interests included skateboarding and art, including photography, according to his mother, Ursula Blevins. In addition to his mother, Josh is survived by his father Steve Dothard Smith; sisters Janie Lynn Smith, Alicia Smith, and…

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Gallery: Family, Friends say Goodbye to Firefighter Horace "Teddy" Pendergrass

Services were held Thursday morning at Zion Baptist Church in Fairfax

Family and friends said goodbye to fallen firefighter Horace Christopher “Teddy” Pendergrass at the Zion Baptist Church on Thursday morning. Hundreds of Fairfax County Firefighters and firefighters from as far as New York came to pay their respects. Pendergrass, 49, was a 21-year veteran of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. Pendergrass passed away on Saturday at the Crosspointe Fire Station in Fairfax Station. The cause of his death is under investigation, though he is believed to have died of natural causes. Pendergrass leaves behind his two daughters, Christian Adams and Tierra Pendergrass, and his son, Horace Christopher Junior, according to his obituary published for his funeral service. Pendergrass grew up in Norfolk, …

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The Power Of Love... And Hate

Nothing beats the loving state.

Ten years ago a powerful hateful force shook the minds of Americans. When the planes hit the Twin Towers I was sitting in my cubicle, working for SPAWAR as a software specialist. Internet news sources completely froze and my only contact with the outside world was AOL Instant Messenger. My friend had been giving me his version of CNN's play-by-play, and when the Pentagon was struck he messaged me: “The world is coming to an end!!!” My office was sent home before noon and it was hours before anyone could get through to me on the phone. I sat in my living room glued to the news, and watched repeated footage of the devastation. I could get a hold of no one. Finally, a dear friend was in DC managed to get through and express his concern. His …

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Hundreds Gather Friday to Remember Jeff Todd at Funeral Service

Friends, family and colleagues gathered at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Mount Vernon for the Friday morning service, followed by burial at Mount Comfort Cemetery in Alexandria.

Hundreds of mourners gathered Friday to say goodbye to Jeff Todd at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Mount Vernon. Todd, the former chair of the Mt. Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce and owner of three area Roy Rogers restaurants, was a larger-than-life figure for many in Fairfax County. The 90-minute service, which began just after 11 a.m., was at times light-hearted, and celebrated a life that ended too soon. The community was shocked to learn of Todd’s sudden death Sunday in a car accident on the way to a family beach vacation in Nags Head, North Carolina. “Jeff’s life cut short is difficult to explain at this time,” said Father Luis Quinones, who presided over the service. “He was, to us, a man who reflected his love of God in the way he …

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Mount Vernon Community Grieves, Praises Jeff Todd, 49

Funeral services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday, with viewing at 10 a.m. Family, friends and colleagues shocked and saddened by sudden death

The reaction from the Mount Vernon community on Monday to the sudden death of Jeff Todd, 49, one of the area’s most beloved sons, has been one of shock, sadness and an outpouring of love for a man who lived life to the fullest. A father, husband, business owner, and community leader, Todd was on his way to Nag’s Head, N.C. for a beach vacation with his family just after midnight on Sunday morning when a fatal car accident took his life, according to his sister-in-law, Susan Todd, who is married to Jeff’s brother, James Todd. Jeff Todd was thrown from one of two family vehicles traveling south on North Carolina 168, when the car in which he was riding swerved to avoid an oncoming car. The car flipped over and Jeff Todd was thrown from the …

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Remembering Al Moseke

Memorial service held tomorrow at family home

Al Moseke, a Mason Neck resident, died February 25 after a lengthy battle with a brain tumor. There will be a memorial service tomorrow, May 21 from 8-9 p.m. at the Moseke home on Belmont Boulevard on Mason Neck. Moseke was born in Cedar Rapids, Nebraska, to Paul Moseke and Leona (Yilk) Moseke. He is survived by his wife, Dolores, his daughter Lara and son-in-law Jeff Kitchen, his son David and daughter-in-law Eleanor, his daughter Tonya and son-in-law Don Gilchrist, his four grandchildren Jay, Jared, and Jacob Kitchen and Maya Gilchrist, his brother James and sister-in-law Wilma, his brother Richard and sister-in-law Mary Lou and his sister Rosemary Koch. He was preceded in death by his parents. He received his M.A. In counseling at …

Remembering MSG William S. Pitts

A National Guardsman was killed in a car accident on Route 1 Monday.

MSG William S. Pitts, 48, of Fort Belvoir, died Monday in a multi-car accident on Route 1. Master Sergeant Pitts served in the Army National Guard for more than 20 years. Before his passing, Pitts was on Title 10 active duty and was assigned to the bureau's Domestic Operations Current Operations Divison. In an article on the National Guard website, many of Seargeant Pitts' colleagues remembered him as a hardworking soldier who was willing to learn more about his job. “Sgt. 1st Class Pitts leaves a legacy for all to emulate, officer and enlisted alike,” said Army Sgt. Maj. Steven Howard, Domestic Operations and Joint Force Development sergeant major. “We talked constantly, and he always wanted to know how to improve things; it was never …

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