Fay J. Van Wie

Fay was born in New Bedford, Mass., to Fred and Mildred Cowell (neè Oesting) on June 19, 1935. She grew up in East Hartford, Conn., and graduated from Endicott College in Beverly, Mass. After college, she worked for Pratt and Whitney and the Connecticut Atomic Nuclear Energy Laboratory (CANEL), where she met some of her lifelong friends, with whom she enjoyed summers at the beach, (après) ski trips, and Caribbean adventures, before venturing off to join the Foreign Service. Through her time in the Foreign Service, Fay travelled the world and worked at American embassies. She met her husband, William, “Bill” Van Wie, Jr., an Army officer, while both were assigned to the American embassy in Quito, Ecuador. They were married in Christ Church Cathedral in Hartford, Conn., during the blizzard of January 1965 and promptly assigned to the embassy in Rome, Italy, for two years, which she called her “two-year honeymoon.” Together, they traveled extensively for work and pleasure and lived in Kabul, Afghanistan; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Ankara, Turkey, before finally settling in Annapolis, Md. Fay worked for the Maryland Historical Trust for nearly 30 years before retiring to the good life. She enjoyed an active retirement with a great group of friends at the Villages of Emerald Bay in sunny Naples, Fla. Fay loved to dance and studies local dance styles in each country where she lived. She worshipped the sun, sand, and sea. Fay enjoyed travel, music, water aerobics, Zumba, art festivals, and shopping with her girlfriends, and hosting dinners and impromptu parties for her friends and loved ones. She was predeceased in 1997 by her husband of 32 years, William J. Van Wie, Jr., CW3 U.S. Army (Ret.). She is survived and will be greatly missed by her adoring children, son William F. Van Wie of Annapolis, Md., and daughter Justine E. Van Wie of Chevy Chase, Md.; her longtime friend and companion, Francis X. Murphy; three grandsons, Jackson, Dylan, and Max Van Wie; several nieces and nephews; and numerous friends around the country. A burial service in Arlington National Cemetery will take place at a date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to Avow Hospice, 1095 Whippoorwill Lane, Naples, FL 34105 (www.avowcares.org).

Fay J. Van Wie

June 19, 1935 - September 18, 2016