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News & Announcements
MEMORIAL TREE PROGRAM
Together with the Rotarians at The
Fairfax, the Foundation has established a tree planting program in memory of a
resident. The family can pick from a variety of trees and choose the location to
plant the tree. The Foundation will also assist in purchasing a plaque to
memorialize the resident.
Contact Marti Martray, the office
administrator for specific information at 703/781-2460 or by email.
Generous Donation to the Army Foundation
At the March 22, 2007 Board of Directors meeting, Dr. Florence St. John, a
resident of The Fairfax, presented Board President LTG Spence A. Armstrong with
a letter containing a generous donation. It was a bequest in the amount of
$50,000 from her late husband, Major General Adrian St. John II, USA, Retired.
In her letter, Dr. St. John added that Adrian returned from his last assignment
as the Senior US Military Representative on the Conventional Arms negotiations
team, Vienna. Austria and made plans immediately to move into The Fairfax. LTG Frank Camm and Adrian were classmates at West Point in the historic
class of January 1943.
Adrian became a resident February 1993. He and I married in 1998 and our life
together at The Fairfax has been bountiful, beautiful and the ideal way to live
well - well cared for, our needs taken care of and we'll never have to live with
our children!!!
The members of the Board of Directors are gratefully thankful for this generous
donation.
Garden House Dedication Ceremony
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A week of downpours and steady rain did not
dampen the dedication ceremony of the Garden House held on Thursday, October
13, 2005. The Wheeler Garden House, built on the Army Retirement Residence
Foundation-Potomac’s Nature Preserve, was endowed by the generous gift of
the children of former residents Brigadier General Lester Wheeler, USA (Ret)
and his wife, Dorothy.
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Mrs. Helen Wheeler Buckley and her husband
Colonel Paul Buckley, USA (Ret), Lieutenant Colonel Duke, USA (Ret) and Mrs.
Sally Wheeler, and Mr. Thomas and Ann Wheeler sought to find an appropriate
way to honor their parents who were long time supporters of the Foundation
and one of the first residents of The Fairfax when it opened in 1989.
As if on cue, the rain stopped at 11 a.m.
allowing the ceremony to take place at the site. Major General Pat M.
Stevens IV, USA (Ret.) President of the Foundation Board of Directors
welcomed family, friends, residents and several Foundation Board members. |
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He spoke of the many contributions
made by the Wheelers during their life at The Fairfax. Les was the first
game warden. He stocked the lake with fish, stopped the shooting of deer on
The Fairfax grounds, and eliminated the destructive beavers which were
eating the birch trees. He planned and sponsored the first Fishing Derby
which is still held every October. Dottie worked diligently with the Army
Daughters, graciously welcomed newcomers to The Fairfax, and was always
seeing to others needing help.
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Major General Stevens also made special
mention of Colonel William Epling, USA (Ret.) who oversaw the planning and
construction of the Garden House. Board members Lieutenant Colonel Lynn
Munch, USA (Ret.) and Mrs. Althea Cooksey oversaw the preparation of a
bronze dedication plaque and the ceremony.
Fairfax resident Chaplain (Colonel) Bertram
Gilbert, USA (Ret) offered a moving and personal invocation. Several family
members shared touching memories of their parents, reminding guests that the
Garden House on the lake would forever carry on the memory of Les and Dottie
Wheeler.
As the family and guests left for a private
lunch at The Fairfax, the rain returned, as if on cue. |
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