MomofDonHo passed away Saturday just a couple weeks shy of 97. I am in the
Burg cleaning out the things she collected for those 97 years. She was an award winning seamstress and fashion designer, had a Masters in Art History and taught art and sold paintings for years winning many awards in art shows, decided to use her right brain and taught computer programming to end her career, and was a fearless Mom who always had my back. In retirement she and my Dad built their own beautiful home from the ground up.
In the fashion designer category she designed and made her wedding dress and entered a suit she designed in a vogue competition and won a high award. They made a pattern of her suit for which she collected royalties for years. Artistically she worked and taught many media and did pen and ink drawings that looked like photographs. But her love was watercolors and she sold hundreds of paintings, notecards, etc. After a teaching hiatus she determined that she could bump her retirement numbers up by teaching a few more year so she pivoted and taught computer programming.
Godspeed Mom! Thanks for being amazing!
36 Replies
3mo
of people in the arts and music would make great programmers. They would give an aptitude test and trained them if they had the right results.
This butthole had to take differential equations along will all kinds of math classes to get a minor in math to never use those math skills again.
Sounds like a great lady, and my condolences.
(In response to this post by DonHo-kieHi)
3mo
Level. Don’t think she’d like differentials!
(In response to this post by VaTechie)
3mo
incredible Mom, whom you will always be proud of.
(In response to this post by DonHo-kieHi)
3mo
(In response to this post by DonHo-kieHi)
3mo
(In response to this post by DonHo-kieHi)
3mo
deciding what to do with a person’s life possessions. When MPHNCRIP died in 2016, she had a tremendous amount of items she and my Dad collected ovet a lifetime of living all over the world. He had died in 1985, but she never parted with - anything. I have only one immediate family member - my nephew - and MPHNCRIP and he and I had presorted items we’d inherit. A few more distant kin received some things and a trickling of odds and ends to friends. But there was a gigantic moving van of possessions that were carted off to the local landfill.
(In response to this post by DonHo-kieHi)
3mo
Then I'm loading the target coordinates of their house into a JDAM and blowing that place to smithereens. They still have furniture in the basement that was broken when I was a kid. IN THE SIXTIES.
(In response to this post by PhotoHokieNC)
3mo
From when I was born in the Bluefield Sanatarium. Daily hospital bill for mom was $10.00. Nursery care for me was $3.50 daily.
Mom’s first teaching contract was for $7,500 annually with a masters degree. Dad was principal at a large high school and was paid $13,500 annually. My sis had a major salivary gland tumor removed, a delicate surgery because of facial nerves….$350. Boxes and boxes of family pics and memorabilia for generations.
(In response to this post by PhotoHokieNC)
3mo
they found out their Mother and Father had both been divorce before marrying each other.
(In response to this post by DonHo-kieHi)
3mo
and the letter his parents wrote to the local recruiting office at Fort Wayne in Detroit giving their permission for him to volunteer in the Army and go off to WWII at age 17. Dozens of scrapbooks of photos of them having cocktails all over Europe, Africa, Japan and Colombia. And at every officer’s club from Germany, NoVa to Missouri and Colorado, Letters of thanks and commendation from ambassadors and Presidents. It’s a damned shame we couldn’t have built them a museum. Or a bar.
** Edited by PhotoHokieNC at 4/22/2026, 12:29:44 PM
(In response to this post by DonHo-kieHi)
3mo
Should just meet at a bar and compare stories. Salute!
(In response to this post by PhotoHokieNC)
V
Va AandM
3mo
What a life she led! To be a programmer in her day was such an achievement and then there is the art. May her memory be a blessing to you and those her mourn her passing.
(In response to this post by DonHo-kieHi)
3mo
(In response to this post by DonHo-kieHi)
E
EDGEMAN
3mo
She definitely sounds like one very smart, very talented, and very special lady!
(In response to this post by DonHo-kieHi)
3mo
What a talented lady. Is that the suit she designed? I skimmed the pictures first and uh, not that I'm into fashion design (cough), really caught my eye... back when "elegant" was a word in the English language. (and gloves!) 50s early 60's? Fantastic (as in fantasy) wedding dress too. good memories.
(In response to this post by DonHo-kieHi)
3mo
School. And she dyed that suit about 5 different colors for different occasions. RIT dye.
** Edited by DonHo-kieHi at 4/22/2026, 11:35:40 AM
(In response to this post by `lag)
3mo
I remember being dragged along as a little kid to the section of the department stores with all the patterns etc. Butterick, Vogue (?) I was bored but also kind of facinated by those mysterious adult worlds. I do know now how to do a really good job on sewing a button (back) on.
(In response to this post by DonHo-kieHi)
3mo
She may have transferred later to UVa.
(In response to this post by `lag)
3mo
be able to rejoice for what you have had all of these years.
(In response to this post by DonHo-kieHi)
3mo
of the Full Life. Heartfelt condolences from TSO and me. ❤️
(In response to this post by DonHo-kieHi)
3mo
My usual early morning typing issues
** Edited by `lag at 4/22/2026, 9:22:41 AM
(In response to this post by PhotoHokieNC)
