The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star, Norfolk, VA

Elizabeth V. Giddens

Ronald Thomas Scott

J. Frank Malbon

J. Frank Malbon, 83, died of a heart attack in Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital Friday evening, Aug. 27, 2004. Frank was born in Princess Anne County the son of the late Fannie Land Malbon and David Yeatman Malbon. Frank was a World War II Navy veteran, who served in the Pacific Theater. He was an elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Virginia Beach and was the owner of Princess Anne Fuel Oil Company. He was past president and a founder of Central Fidelity Bank, which later became ...

Donald E. Feci

Donald Eugene Feci, 76, went to be with the Lord on Aug. 28, 2004, in a Virginia Beach hospital. He was born in Plymouth, Mass. to George E. and Alice H. Feci. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps and retired from the Naval Air Rework Facility. He is survived by three children, Linda J. Bartnik and husband Donald J. of Virginia Beach, Diane C. Caldwell and husband Chris of Virginia Beach and Donald G. Feci of Indiana. Mr. Feci also leaves behind grandchildren, Joey, Sean, Kelly, Todd and Donia.

Billy E. Hollomon

Richard L. Blevins

Richard Lee Blevins, 81, of Elmhurst Avenue, passed away at his residence on Aug. 28, 2004, after a long illness. Born in Marion, Va., he was the son of the late John H. and Mary Jane Blevins. He served honorably with the U.S. Navy during World War II and was retired from the Norfolk and Western Railway. Richard enjoyed gardening and cabinet making in his spare time.

Lola V. Harrison

Lola Virginia Harrison, 94, caring mother and grandmother, went to be with the Lord on Aug. 28, 2004. She is survived by a daughter, six grandchildren, 12 great- grandchildren and a great-great-grandchild.

Robert B. Pearson

Robert Bacon "Bob" Pearson, 84, of the 1800 block of East Bayview Blvd., went to be with his Lord and Savior Friday, Aug. 27, 2004. Born in Norfolk, Bob was the husband of the late Elizabeth Crane Pearson. He retired from C.C. Waddell Food Brokerage after 30 years of service. Bob was a member and deacon of Ocean View Baptist Church. He was a devout Christian and a witness to his faith. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II serving as a surgical technician. He attended the College of Will...

Nella S. Perry

Nella Bayne Sessoms Perry, formerly of River Road, died Thursday, Aug. 26, 2004, in Chowan Hospital, Edenton. Mrs. Perry was born in Bertie County, N.C., a daughter of the late William Stark Sessoms and Martha Roberta "Pattie" White Sessoms and was a member of Colerain Baptist Church. She was retired as librarian for the town of Colerain.

Bertha L. Mason

Bertha Lee Mason, of the 400 block of Ben St., died Aug. 27, 2004, in Tandem Healthcare of Norfolk. A native of Suffolk, she was daughter of the late Redmond and Ella Epps and the widow of William F. Mason. She was retired from Master Cleaners where she worked as a presser. She was a member of True Vine Pentecostal Holiness Church where she was mother of the church, president of the Senior Usher Board and member of the Missionary Staff. She was also a member of the DAV Chapter No. 5 and forme...

Kaliope Rerras

Kaliope Rerras, 91, wife of the late Nick Rerras, went to be with the Lord on Aug. 28, 2004. She will be remembered as a kind and caring wife and mother. She was dearly loved by her children and grandchildren. Born in Andros, Greece, she came to the U.S. in the early 1950s with her husband and settled in Norfolk. Kaliope was a lifelong member of the Greek Orthodox Church and a member of the Ladies Philoptochos Society. She is survived by her son, Speros Rerras and his wife Teressa of Norfolk ...

John W. Smith

John Wayne Smith, 59, of the 1100 block of Sippel Drive, died Aug. 28, 2004, in a hospital. Mr. Smith, a native of Matoaka, W.Va., was a quality assurance specialist with Defense Contract Management with 28 years of service and was a U.S. Army veteran.

Christian W. Kirsch

Christian W. Kirsch, 86, of N. Witchduck Road, died Aug. 27, 2004, at his Virginia Beach home after a short but courageous battle with cancer. Mr. Kirsch was born Sept. 3, 1918, in Baltimore and was retired after 43 years service from the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company, an affiliate of the Bell system, as manager of central offices. He also retired from the U.S. Army as a lieutenant colonel and served with the British Royal Air Force preparing communications for the Normandy Invasio...

Nicholas M. Balovich Jr.

Retired U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Nicholas M. "Nick" Balovich Jr., passed away on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2004, after a brief battle with cancer. Nick was born in New Orleans in 1943. He graduated from Louisiana State University in 1965 and was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy in 1966. He spent 20 years in the surface Navy, but it was in the area of satellite communications where he excelled and will be remembered. Following his retirement from the Navy in 1986, Nick took a position in senior ...

An Overdue Makeover of Odu

When Old Dominion University President Roseann Runte took office, she inherited one high-profile failure and one high-profile success. The Maglev train, an open-air experiment running the length of the Norfolk campus, has so far been a disappointment featuring shaky cars and shady partnerships.

Reading Coach Offers Parents Pointers

Jackie Brown , a reading coach at Sheep-Harney Elementary, started the job this year to help teachers use technology and lesson plans that the school recently bought with a federal grant. The Elizabeth City State University graduate has been a teacher and an instructional specialist in the district for 24 years.

Animated Basic Cartoons Make Up Abcs of Reading

The computer program - part of a three-school, $1.2 million federal grant - looks like a cartoon. A squirrel with Looney Tunes-like features smiles from a computer screen at P.W. Moore Elementary.

Suffolk Phasing in Veterans' Cemetery

Daniel R. Kemano looks over 26 acres of bare earth, spindly trees and nearly complete buildings and sees a landscaped resting place of honor for thousands of Hampton Roads' 177,000 veterans. Kemano was recently named administrator of the Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery at Hampton Roads . The first phase of the long-awaited cemetery will open Nov. 1 on former farm fields in the Lake Prince section of Suffolk.

Woman Touched Friends with Humor As Much As Intellect

Describing Linda Cornett's life would be "like trying to lasso the wind," said friend Susan Thomas. In her 59 years, Cornett was a newspaper columnist, songwriter, librarian, teacher, retail store manager, disability analyst, psychic adviser and hypnotherapist.

Letters to the Editor -- The Virginian-Pilot

Burying the grim news of our true heroes overseas