William P. Willis Jr.

William P. "Bill" Willis Jr., formerly of Clarksville, of Ellicott City, died June 2, 2008, of pneumonia, at The Heartlands Retirement Community, in Ellicott City. He was 88.

Born Sept. 21, 1919, in Atlanta, to William P. Sr. and Essie Lee McDonald Willis, he graduated from Boys High School, in Atlanta, in 1934.

In 1934, he attended Georgia Military Academy, followed by two years at Georgia Tech, where he received an ROTC appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy.

He graduated ninth in his class from the Naval Academy in Annapolis in 1941 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. During that time, the Japanese had just bombed Pearl Harbor. He served as a captain in World War II aboard the USS Hoe, where he was a gunnery officer. At the close of the war, Mr. Willis served as executive officer of the USS Skipjack and the USS Tiru, as well as commanding officer of the USS Greenfish.

In 1960, Mr. Willis joined the U.S. Navy's nuclear program. He became the Blue skipper of SSBN Sam Houston, a submarine propelled by nuclear power, which carried ballistic missiles. He was discharged from the Navy in 1964. For his service, he was awarded a Bronze Star, a Silver Star, and a Letter of Commendation.

He married Anne Brooks in 1941.

Mr. Willis began working in the submarine division of Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, where he was employed for 20 years. He retired in 1986.

Family members recall that he spent his time playing tennis, fishing, hunting and doing cabinetry in his shop. He also enjoyed boxing, lacrosse and sailing.

He was a member of the Clarksville Lions Club and volunteered his time with the Lazarus Foundation in Columbia for more then 10 years, rebuilding computers that were donated to schools.

In addition to his wife of 66 years, Mr. Willis is survived by a son, William Paul Willis III, of Skamania, Wash.; a daughter, Rebecca Anne Willis Gabor, of New Kensington, Pa.; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

An open house is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 24, 2008, 2-4:30 p.m., at Claret Hall, 6020 Daybreak Circle, Clarksville.

Funeral services and interment are scheduled for Monday, Aug. 25, 2008, 3 p.m., at Arlington National Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 6 Herndon Ave., Annapolis, MD 21043 or to: National Wildlife Federation, 1100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, Va. 20190-5362, or to: WBJC, 6776 Reisterstown Road, Suite 202, Baltimore, MD 21215, or to: WETA, 2775 South Quincy St., Arlington, VA 22206.

Sally J. Barnes

Sally Jane Thomas Barnes, of Mount Airy, died Aug. 15, 2008, of leukemia, at the University of Maryland Medical Center. She was 67.

Born Aug. 16, 1940, in Baltimore, to George C. and Justa Witherspoon Thomas, she graduated from Mount Airy High School in 1958.

She married William Herman Barnes Jr. in 1961.

Mrs. Barnes worked as a nurse for Carroll Hospital Center for 20 years, before becoming a school nurse for the Howard County Public School System, where she was employed for 16 years. She retired in 2007.

Family members recall that she enjoyed the company of her family and friends.

Mrs. Barnes was predeceased by a brother, Jim Thomas.

In addition to her husband of 47 years, she is survived by a daughter and a son-in-law, Julia and David Call, of Prince Frederick; a son and a daughter-in-law, Jim and Suellen Barnes, of Mount Airy; two brothers, George Thomas, of Columbia and Dennis Thomas, of Westminster; and four grandchildren, Brandon Call, Zachary Call, Mary-Kaitlyn Barnes and Mathew Barnes.

Funeral services were held Aug. 19, 2008, at Burrier-Queen Funeral Home and Crematory in Winfield. The Rev. Clarence Kaylor officiated.

Interment followed at Pine Grove Cemetery in Mount Airy.

Memorial donations may be made to UMBF School of Medicine, c/o Alison Smith, Office of Development, 100 N. Greene Street, Suite 600, Baltimore, MD 21201.

Anna L. Tomalis

Anna Leigh Tomalis, of Clarksville, died Aug. 15, 2008, of cancer, at her residence. She was 13.

Born June 23, 1995, in Baltimore, to Ron and Liz Tomalis, she was a resident of Mechanicsburg, Pa., for the first six years of her life.

She was a student at Lime Kiln Middle School.

Family members recall that Anna exhibited valor and grace during her three-year battle against a rare form of liver cancer.

She is remembered for having a zest for life that amazed everyone she knew. Anna enjoyed spending time with her family and friends, going horseback riding, watching and playing sports, and she had a love for fashion and style.

Her father recalls that she attended Fashion Week in New York, where she met and was photographed with supermodel and talk show host Tyra Banks.

She also loved going to see Broadway plays in New York and had become close friends with the cast of "Wicked." In addition, family members said that she treated each day as a gift to be lived to its fullest.

Family members also recall that she used her illness to help others by becoming the face of trials that children with cancer go through. Despite shyness in large crowds, she did this by speaking for Relay for Life, as well as at charity events, to help others who are fighting cancer.

Anna talked with members of Congress this past spring about her journey and to try to make it easier for patients who have limited options for treatment so that they might have access to promising, yet experimental drugs. After learning that a fourth cancer treatment had failed, she organized and sponsored a blood drive that saved the lives of 180 people.

Family said that through it all, Anna had a joyous smile and an infectious laugh that comforted all.

She was predeceased by her grandfather, Albert J. Tomalis, Jr.

Anna is survived by her parents, Ron and LIz Tomalis; two sisters, Megan Tomalis and Julia Tomalis; her grandparents, Doris Tomalis, of Camp Hill, Pa., and Jack and Lucille Aellen, of Mount Airy; as well as many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

A celebratory mass will be held Friday, August 22, 2008, 10 a.m., at St. Louis Church, 12500 Clarksville Pike, Clarksville.

Interment followed at St. Louis cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to Casey Cares Foundation, 3918 Vero Road, Suite C, Baltimore, MD 21227 or to: the FJC/Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative, 17 Bethea Drive, Ossining, NY 10562.

Lois E. Derrick

Lois Eleanor Derrick, of Ellicott City, formerly of Dayton, died Aug. 15, 2008, at Long View Nursing Home, in Manchester. She was 80.

She was born Sept. 9, 1927, in Baltimore, to Elmon M. Sr. and Beulah A. Johnson Day.

She married George A. "Dick" Healey Jr., who died in 1969.

She later married Enoch L. Derrick.

During her first marriage, she and then-husband George A. Healey Jr. owned and operated Healey's Tavern, in Ellicott City. Later, the couple changed the name to Roscoe's Tavern. The tavern was destroyed by Hurricane Agnes in 1972.

Mrs. Derrick was also a homemaker.

Family members recall that she loved listening to music and dancing.

She was predeceased by a husband, George Healey Jr., who died in 1969; a husband, Enoch L. Derrick, who died in 1990; four brothers, Robert C. Day, Albert E. "Dutch" Day, H. Jerome "Chick" Day and Elmon M. "Bubby" Day Jr.; and two sisters, Matilda E. Seibert and Betty L. Gaither.

Mrs. Derrick is survived by a sister, B. Anna Wroten, of Florida; and several nieces and nephews.

No funeral services have been scheduled.

Interment was private.

Memorial donations may be made to Carroll Hospice, 292 Stoner Avenue, Westminster, MD 21157.

Online condolences may be left at www.haightfuneralhome.com.

---

user comments (0)