In Memoriam
A Note from the Webmaster: Washington Grove has loved and lost many residents — residents who have advised, healed, advocated for, encouraged, entertained, mentored, comforted, charmed, guided, and served their fellow Americans, Marylanders, MoCo’ers and Grovers.
Below, you will find profiles of some of our neighbors whom we have lost, beginning in late 2021. If you wish to add a profile of your loved one to this page (no matter his or her death date), please contact the webmaster.
Doris Gordon, 1929-2024
Doris died Monday, October 14 at the Wilson Healthcare Center at Asbury. She was 95. A memorial service will be held at Gaithersburg Presbyterian Church on Saturday, November 16 at 3:00 pm. Doris and her husband Gary lived in Washington Grove for more than 50 years and raised their four sons and daughter here. In 2017, they moved to Asbury retirement community. Gentle and principled, Doris was deeply spiritual; generous with her time; wicked smart, immensely kind, and wonderfully funny; and a gifted pianist, painter and potter.
Visit Doris’s website here and view her full obituary here.
Terry Cox, 1948-2024
Born in West Virginia along with his twin brother, Larry, Terry moved with his family to Bethesda, where he attended Walt Whitman High School (’67) and started dating his future wife, Susie Rodgers. Terry enjoyed a stellar cross-country career at Whitman. He continued his cross-country success at Montgomery College, where he ran so well that he was both ranked nationally, and inducted into the Montgomery College Athletic Hall of Fame. After college, Terry had a long career that he loved as an IBEW electrician, working on large projects like the DC Metro.
Terry enjoyed living in one of the historic A-frame homes in his beloved Washington Grove, where he kept an impressive garden and volunteered on numerous town projects. He loved spending time with his family in Bethany Beach, where he owned a second home. His family, especially his grandchildren, were the joy of his life.
Within the Grove, Terry’s dedication to maintaining the Town for a solid decade was recognized in seemingly dozens of “Mayor’s Kudos”. When he retired, the Town Bulletin praised his “powers and abilities beyond those of mortal men”, and “his never-ending battle for leaf-less ballfields [and] clear intersections”, saying:
Faster than a speeding bullet,
More powerful than a locomotive.
Able to leap tall leaf piles in a single bound.
Look, up Chestnut Avenue!
It’s a deer, it’s a fox, it’s Terry Cox!
Jim Shiflet, 1951-2024
Longtime Grover Jim Shiflet passed away on March 28, 2024. An outdoorsman, Jim enjoyed fishing, camping, hiking, and cruising (first on his motorcycles, and later on his bicycle). He could often be found on his deck catching up with family, friends, and neighbors, and was always ready to offer a good story. He loved the Outer Banks, where he took summer family vacations and fall fishing trips.
Jim was always ready to help when a neighbor needed it. For years, he set up every flag in Town each Labor Day weekend and in advance of other holidays. He also ensured that the Town’s tractor was in fine working form for the annual mayoral ride on the Fourth of July.
Jim (along with his pranks and stories!) is missed by his lively and loving family as well as by his friends and neighbors.
Birgit requested no remembrance or obituary, but she is so loved and missed that we thought we’d include a photo.Marc Hansen, 1946-2023
Our dear friend and fellow Grover Marc Hansen passed away on Saturday, July 15. Mark made his career in the Montgomery County Attorney’s Office, serving for 37 years, including 12 years as County Attorney, before retiring in 2022. As County Executive Marc Elrich said, “Over almost four decades, multiple County Executives, dozens of County Council members, and thousands of County colleagues relied on his advice and guidance.” Marc maintained his love of teaching and mentorship throughout his life, teaching a course in local government at the George Washington University School of Law for many years.
Marc’s service to the Grove was no less exceptional: Town Councilor from 1983 to 1987; Mayor for three terms (1987 to 1990); member of the Grove’s Board of Zoning Appeals for over 30 years, including 23 years as Chair of the BZA; member of the Board of Trustees of Washington Grove United Methodist Church; and Chair of the Washington Grove Dog Park Workgroup.
An able, kind, wise and patient mentor and friend, Marc will be missed by countless former colleagues and by his Grove family, friends and neighbors.
Darrell Anderson, 1947-2023
Darrell was a celebrated biology and special education teacher in Montgomery County Public Schools for 20 years. Darrell then launched his second career, as a contract writer and project manager for the National Institutes of Health. As if two careers weren’t enough, for years, he was active with the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee, becoming Secretary and Chair, where he focused on worker’s issues, health care, and diversity.
Washington Grove was lucky to have him serve two stints on the Town Council, from 2001-2008 and from 2018-2022. In addition, he served as Mayor for three terms, from 2008-2011.
Darrell cherished mentoring young Democrats, and graced his family and friends with both his goofy sense of humor and his intellectual curiosity.
Jim Leng, 1948 – 2023
An elementary school physical education teacher, Jim dedicated his 37-year-long career to teaching children how to have fun and to be successful everyday in school through his love of games, his playfulness, and his coaching style. He lovingly became known by all as “Coach.”
Jim also stayed active in Washington Grove, guarding Maple Lake, organizing Lake Day, chairing the Planning Commission, participating in Labor Day events and in the Washington Grove United Methodist Church, and playing Santa Claus for Grove children at Christmastime.
A big personality, a “force of life”, a man who wore shorts every day and to the most formal of events, Jim is already missed by his wonderful and caring family and countless colleagues, friends and neighbors.
Cathy Staneck, 1944 – 2022
Longtime resident Cathy Staneck passed away in April 2022. Cathy was nurtured in the Grove, attending elementary school in a two-room schoolhouse, where she developed her lifelong passion for independent learning and reading. After graduating from Gettysburg College magna cum laude with department honors in mathematics, Cathy briefly taught math in Montgomery County schools before accepting a position at the National Institutes of Health Cancer Research Center. There, she served as a phase principal investigator to program U.S. government research gathered about uranium mining during the 1940’s – 1960’s. As a result of this research, it was determined that uranium miners, who were largely Navajo, developed increased cancer rates; that finding eventually led to a restitution passed in the 1990’s.
After raising her four children, Cathy returned to Gettysburg, first working as a systems analyst in the institutional research department of Gettysburg College, then as the business manager of the Gettysburg Review, and finally as assistant to the president of the College. She and her husband Dave returned home to the Grove in 2018.
Liz Robertson, 1947 – 2021
Our friend and neighbor Liz Robertson passed away on December 28, 2021. Liz dedicated her professional life to the field of prevention science, providing scholarship, leadership, advocacy, outreach, and mentoring activities at the National Institute on Drug Abuse for over 18 years. She focused on child development, and in particular, on preventing drug abuse among children. This passion came from a profound, lifelong love of and concern for the children she encountered, both her own and those of her friends and the communities in which she lived.
Here in the Grove, she shared with us her generosity, her dry wit, and her love of children, nature, beautiful gardens, and good parties. She was particularly active in the Woman’s Club, and served as its president in 2021. In her honor, the Club began the annual Liz Robertson Memorial Children’s Underwear Drive. Helping to ensure that all children have underwear was a cause that was close to Liz’s heart.
View a livestream of her memorial service here | View Liz’s full obituary | Learn how Liz’s professional accomplishments were honored at a June 2022 Symposium of the Society for Prevention Research.