The FBA and its members remember the friends of the association who may be gone, but not forgotten.  We value their service to the community through their work toward justice and hope that this may serve as a tribute to them.

 

In Memoriam Archives:

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2009

Thomas A. Mickler 

Thomas A. Mickler died on December 29, 2009 at the age of 87. He is survived by his wife, son, sister, grandchildren, daughter-in-law, step-sons, and step-grandchildren. He was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and served in the Navy during WWII.  Upon returning from the war, he graduated from the University of Scranton.  He later attended the George Washington School of Law.  He was an active member of the Virginia State Bar and received recognition for 50 years of service to the Bar..

 

Mary E. Becker 

Mary E. Becker died at age 50 on November 19, 2009 from acute myeloid leukemia. Funeral services were held at St. Veronica Catholic Church in Chantilly and interment was at Fairfax Memorial Park. She is survived by her husband, James R. Becker, Esq., her daughter, Colette A. Becker, and her son Robert C. Becker, II.   

 

Judge Paul D. Brown

The Arlington Bar was saddened to learn today of the passing or Retired Arlington Circuit Court Judge Paul D. Brown. Upon Judge Brown's retirement from Arlington, his position was filled by Judge Sheridan. Up until a few years ago he was acting as a substitute Judge in Rappahannock County.
 

George E. Cranwell

George E. Cranwell passed away on Monday, September 21, 2009. Mr. Cranwell had been a long standing member of the Arlington legal community having been a past member of the Arlington Bar for 40 years. Our deepest sympathies to his family and friends. 

Bonnie Scott Byrd

It is with the greatest sorrow we inform you that Bonnie Scott Byrd, the youngest daughter of Dick and Nancy Byrd, died by suicide on September 5, 2009. Dick was chairman of the Family Law Section for some 15 years before his retirement in 2006, and Dick and Nancy developed the VADER domestic relations software that many of you use. Bonnie was a paralegal in Dick's law firm while she was in law school, 1999-2003, and many of you knew her in this role in our legal community.
 

In addition to Dick and Nancy, Bonnie is survived by her two children, Nicholas and Kelly Carriger, her husband Alan Larson, and her brother and sister, Bradford Byrd and Beverly Byrd Buswell.

Hon. Carleton Penn II 

Carleton Penn, II, 86, resident of Leesburg Virginia and Conway New Hampshire died on August 26, 2009 as a result of injuries sustained in a traffic collision. He was the son of Carleton Penn and Virginia Burks Penn of Roanoke,Va.. He is survived by his wife, Joan Legg Penn, his son, Carleton Penn III and his wife Renee Ball Penn, a daughter, Nancy Harrison (Muffin) Penn, two grandsons, Ridley Penn Bain and Carleton Penn IV. Also surviving him are stepdaughters Carole Lynne Williams, Leslie Lewis Williams, Stacy Williams Geddis, Katherine Kent Legg, Mary Wallace Legg Nordmark, one stepson, John Graydon Legg and step grandchildren John Graydon Legg III, Rachel Alexandra Legg, Hunter James Coburn and Kaitlin Leigh Coburn. Surviving nieces and a nephew are Virginia Penn Holmes, Nancy Lea McMoneagle, Lucinda Beale Honeycutt and Adolph J. Honeycutt, III.
 

Judge Penn attended the public schools of Roanoke, Virginia, Roanoke College, and the University of Virginia. He was awarded his bachelor’s degree at the University of Virginia in absentia while at Marine Boot Camp at Parris Island, South Carolina during World War II. He was commissioned at Quantico, Virginia in August 1943, and was assigned to the First Marine Division in the South Pacific. He landed in the fourth assault wave at Peleliu and was later wounded there on Bloody Nose Ridge while directing artillery fire during that battle; he was awarded the Silver Star Medal and the Purple Heart.
 

After military service he returned to the University of Virginia and received his law degree in 1948. He then became an Associate of Elijah B. White, Esquire, in Leesburg, Virginia, and opened his own law office in 1950. In 1952 he was appointed Trial Justice (now District Judge) and Juvenile and Domestic Relations Judge of Loudoun County, which offices he held until 1958.
 

Upon the death of the Commonwealth’s Attorney in 1968, Penn was appointed to fill the unexpired term of the prosecutor. However, in 1970 he was elected by the General Assembly of Virginia to the bench of the Circuit Court for Loudoun, Fauquier, and Rappahannock Counties. He presided in that Circuit until his retirement in 1987. After retirement he continued to sit as a retired judge in the courts of the Circuit and other courts until 2004.
 

Before coming to the Circuit Bench he served on the Condemnation Commission of the United States Court acquiring lands for Dulles Airport, the Dulles Airport Access Road and other Federal projects. He was Master of Olive Branch Masonic Lodge, President of the Leesburg Lions Club, and on the Board of the Peoples National Bank of Leesburg, Virginia.
 

Known by his friends as “Biff,” Judge Penn enjoyed tennis, playing each Sunday with the “Awful Awesome Foursome,” in earlier days before indoor courts came to Loudoun County, regardless of the weather, sometimes scraping snow from the tennis court. He was also known for his strong sense of ethics, his memory for details, and his great sense of humor.

Mary Elizabeth Pierce

Longtime Fairfax lawyer Mary Elizabeth Pierce died of respiratory failure at her home in Richmond.
 

Mary was born on Capitol Hill in Washington, D. C. in 1922, and grew up in Arlington. Her father was Gorman Hendricks, a muckraking Washington journalist who gained celebrity for going to jail rather than disclose his sources for a story about speakeasies, and later played himself in the 1956 film "On the Bowery". In 1944 she married William Arthur ("Bud") Pierce. They lived in Fairfax for most of their lives and raised eight children there. She began college at the age of 16 at Mary Washington College, and finished at age 46 at George Mason University. She "read law" in the offices of Friedlander & Friedlander instead of going to law school, and began her practice in 1974 at an office in the Mosby Building. Mrs. Pierce was a perennial Guardian-Ad-Litem in Fairfax in child welfare and custody cases, as her real-life experience with children, adolescents and mothering made her a favorite appointee with many of the judges. She also did divorce and adoption work, at times defended criminal cases and somehow found time to serve in Appalachian communities as a VISTA volunteer. Bud died in 1992. Despite attempts to retire, her practice continued until 2000 when she moved to Richmond, where one of her sons and two of her daughters reside.

Lane R. Gabeler-Millner

Lane R. Gabeler-Millner of McLean, VA died on Tuesday, August 25, 2009. Born June 14, 1937 in Louisville, KY. She had lived and practiced law in McLean since 1972. She was a senior partner of Gabeler, Battocchi and Powell, PLLC. She is survived by her husband H. Victor Millner, Jr. of Chatham, VA; a son, George E. Ward, Jr. of FL.; a sister, Rachel Coder Matthews of CT.; a nephew Wimmer Lane Coder of NY; and three grandchildren. 
 

Paul George Varoutsos

Paul George Varoutsos passed away on June 25 at his home in Arlington County.  He was born in Washing, served in the Navy during WWII, and then graduated from the George Washington School of Law in 1949. Mr. Varoutsos formed a family law practice in 1951 with Louis Koutoulakos; he continued to work there until his retirement in 2005. Mr. Varoutsos was a member of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association and was a founder of St. Katherine Greek Orthodox Church in Falls Church.

He is survived by his wife, two sons, including Judge George D. Varoutsos of the Arlington Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, a brother, and three grandchildren.

Henry Clinton Mackall

Henry Clinton Mackall of Vienna, Virginia died on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at Fairfax Hospital. Beloved husband of the late Mary Margaret Mackall; father of Caroline C. Mackall, Nancy S. Mackall & Lucy M. Thompson (Christopher); brother of Douglass Mackall, III; step-brother of Beverly Pickett Kirchmier & Julia Merrell Harris; grandfather of Henry D. Thompson. He is also survived by several nieces & nephews.

Hon. Burch Millsap

Burch Millsap, a retired Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge, died on June 6 at Suburban Hospital. Judge Millsap took to the bench in 1968 after 18 years as a private practice lawyer in Northern Virginia; his former practice of Gibson, Hix, Millsap & Hansbarger was located in Falls Church. He retired as judge in 1983. Judge Millsap served in the Army Air Forces during WWII. He later attended University of Maryland and graduated from law school from American University in 1950. He is survived by two children, a sister, and four grandchildren.

William H. “Bill” Hansbarger 

William H. “Bill” Hansbarger passed away at his home in McLean, Virginia on Sunday, May 17, 2009. Bill was born in Baltimore, Md. in 1922. He attended the Virginia Military Institute and received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland in 1947, and his law degree from George Washington University in 1952. Bill started his long and distinguished career as a partner of Gibson, Hix, Millsap and Hansbarger. Specializing primarily in zoning law, he retired from Baskin, Jackson, Hansbarger & Duffett, P.C. in 2007. Bill served as a Substitute Judge for the Fairfax County General District and Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court from 1978 until 2006. Over his 50 year legal career, Bill became known as the “Silver Fox,” in part for his silver hair, but mostly for his keen legal abilities and his gentlemanly demeanor. Bill is survived by his wife Charlotte, son Scott, daughters Star and Alice, and grandsons Will and Liam.

Jean-Pierre (“JP”) Garnier

Jean-Pierre (“JP”) Garnier, 76, a Falls Church trial attorney, died peacefully on May 7 in the loving care of family members in Oak Hill, Va. after a lengthy illness.

Born in Paris, France on March 6, 1933, JP was raised in Algiers during the German occupation of Paris. Celebrating on the day Paris was liberated, his mother met his soon-to-be stepfather, who brought the family to America, arriving on Christmas Day in 1945 and subsequently settling in Arlington, Virginia. After attending Washington-Lee HS, he graduated from Assumption College in Worcester, MA. 

Determined to become a U.S. citizen, JP then served in the U.S. Army in Oahu, Hawaii. After returning to Virginia, JP graduated from Georgetown Law School in 1960, became a partner in the law firm Tramonte, Kohlhaas & Garnier (later Kohlhaas, Garnier & Webb) before opening his own firm in 1982. The latter years of his litigation career were spent practicing law with his two sons, Michael Garnier and Robert Garnier, in the law firm of Garnier & Garnier, in Falls Church until his retirement in 2007. 

Passionate about his family, traveling, boating and fine food and wine, JP’s life was characterized by a ‘joie de vivre’ that was an inspiration to many. He is survived by six children and their spouses: Vicky Garnier Barshis, Michael & Linda Garnier, Anne-Marie & Lou Von Kahle, Jacqueline Garnier, Stephen & Sue Garnier, and Robert & Marnie Garnier, a step-son, Andrew Thornton, and fourteen grandchildren.

M.W. "Bill" Kirkpatrick, Jr.

M.W. "Bill" Kirkpatrick, Jr., a retired Navy lieutenant commander in the Judge Advocate General's Corp and a lawyer in Fairfax City, passed away May 4, 2009.  He served in the Army from 1953-1955 and in the Navy from 1961 until his retirement in 1986.  His private practice was primarily domestic relations and criminal law.

Roshawne Romney "Shawnie" Tull

Roshawne Romney "Shawnie" Tull passed away May 1, 2009.  She was generous and compassionate.  She is survived by three young sons and husband, Travis Downing Tull.  
  

Ethan Allen Turshen 

Ethan Allen Turshen passed away on February 9, 2009 Fairfax Hospital.  Ethan practiced law in Arlington, and also formerly served the Virginia State Bar as a district committee member and chair, and as a guardian ad litem.  He was a devoted husband and father, and was so very proud of his exceptional family. His dedication to friends and family was earnest, motivated by love, selfless, and altruistic.  He quietly assisted others, and never sought credit or recognition for doing so.

Ronald K. “Ron” Ingoe

Ronald K. “Ron” Ingoe passed away on February 4, 2009, at the age of 69. Born in Salem, VA, Ingoe received his B.S. from the University of Virginia in 1960. He served his country in the United States Air Force from 1960-1965, before attending Washington & Lee Law School, where he served as the Editor of the W&L Law Review before graduating with his LL.B. in 1968. Mr. Ingoe began his practice at Boothe, Prichard & Dudley. He also practiced with Durrette & Roeder, P.C., before opening his own private practice in Loudoun County. Mr. Ingoe is survived by his sister, Barbara, and his brother Michael.