Archives: Biographies

Marjorie Champion Salamone grew up on a dairy farm in Pine Mountain, Georgia. She excelled in school and graduated from high school at the age of 16. She earned her Bachelor’s degree with honors in Textile Chemistry at Auburn University, as well as her Master’s in Textile Science.  She was a person of deep character, … Continued

Charles (Chuck) Edward Sabin was born on July 31, 1947 in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania. He attended the Drexel Institute of Technology, where he was a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma fraternity and the Reserve Officers Training Corps. After four years on the Dean’s List, Chuck graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1969, and … Continued

William Ruth, 57, a veteran of two wars and of nearly 30 years as a social studies teacher, died in the September 11 attack on the Pentagon.  An Army chief warrant officer, Ruth lived in Mount Airy. On the evening of September 10, he had presided over his first meeting as commander of his local … Continued

Robert E. Russell was born on April 29, 1949 in Columbia, South Carolina. He lived in Columbia with his grandmother, Emily Russell, until age eight when he moved to Washington, DC to be with his mother and five siblings: Cortez Fletcher, Jr., Emily Michelle Fletcher, Anthony Fletcher, Michael Fletcher and Melanie Fletcher. The oldest of … Continued

Born May 8, 1957 in Tome Green County, Texas, Judy Rowlett grew to be a dedicated civil servant, never resisting a challenge and always doing her best at everything she touched.  Judy was reared in San Angelo, Texas and entered federal service in 1986. She worked in a wide variety of positions prior to beginning … Continued

One of Edward Veld Rowenhorst’s favorite things to do was to take his 7-year-old daughter, Ashley, to his Pentagon office, whether it was for Take Our Daughters to Work Day or just to give his wife, Traci, a break at home. He’d find an empty cubicle and give Ashley some crayons. One time, the two had … Continued

Cecelia was born on June 2, 1960 to Mazie I. (Ward) Lawson and the late John F. Lawson. A native Washingtonian, she was the youngest of eight children. She attended schools in the DC area and graduated from the Job Corps in 1980 with a Certificate in Accounting. After her graduation, she was employed with … Continued

Martha M. Reszke, 56, was a civilian who had worked for the Army budget office for the past eight years. Friends and family describe her as a dedicated worker, but an even more dedicated mother, wife and friend. To “everyone who came into her life, she gave,” said her husband, Jim. “The thing about her was … Continued

Rodney Ratchford tried to talk about his wife in the present tense. Amid the devastation at the Pentagon, where Marsha D. Ratchford worked for the Navy as an information technician, her husband had not given up hope. It’s what she would have wanted.  “We still got the faith. We’re still prayed every day,” said Rodney … Continued

  Rhonda Sue Ridge Rasmussen, 44, learned September 10 that she had been selected for the transfer to California that she was seeking. Her husband, Floyd, who also works at the Pentagon, said they thought about staying home September 11 to celebrate and plan for their October move, but their sense of duty led them … Continued