We Remember Lorraine and Woody
5/14/2013
Two long-time St. John's parishioners passed away in April within days of each other: Lorraine Underwood, 70, who died on April 14, and B. Sherwood "Woody" Hedrick, 85, who died on April 22.
Lorraine Underwood
Lorraine, who had been a member of St. John's since the late 1990s, is particularly remembered at our church for leading adult education sessions that sparked lively discussion, examining topics that ranged form the Book of Job to the Seven Deadly Sins.
Lorraine, whose mother was Puerto Rican, grew up speaking both English and Spanish, and after graduating with a teaching degree from the State University of New York at Albany in 1964, she taught Spanish for a few years at schools in Southern California. She joined the Women's Army Corps in 1968. In the 1970s, as an employee of the Association of American University Women, she lobbied and obtained recognition for the women pilots who had flown in World War II. She also worked several years for Washington Researchers and then began a long career in technical writing and editing.
Lorraine is survived by her husband, Dennis Albrecht (with Lorraine in the picture above), whom she married in May 1972; by her sister, Elizabeth; and by Elizabeth's three children and two grandchildren. A memorial Eucharist was held for Lorraine on Saturday May 18 at St. John's
B. Sherwood Hedrick
Woody, born and raised in the Glencarlyn neighborhood where St. John's is located, began attending St. John's as a child. At 17, he joined the Navy and served on the USS Arkansas during World War II, earning four bronze starts. He also served as Recruitment Chief in the Bureau of Naval Personnel and attended Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in the 1950s and later its School of Law.
Woody eventually moved to Wincester, Virginia, where the Hedrick family owned land. There he became a real estate developer and owned and operated Sherwood Realty. He also owned and operated Woody's Auto Sales. He was a member of the American Legion Post #137 in Capon Bridge, West Virginia, and was the first fire chief at North Mountain Fire & Rescue.
Over the last few years he began driving to Arlington from Winchester almost every weekend to visit his twin sister, Betty, and to attend services with her at St. John's, where he began serving as a Eucharistic minister.
Besides Betty, Woody is survived by three sons, two daughers, five grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. A memorial service for Woody was held on April 27 in Capon Bridge. Burial will be in Arlington Cemetery at a date still to be determined.
