Francis Wilbert Stover – Private First Class, United States Army

Francis W. Stover, 88, a lawyer who worked for the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and advocated G.I. bills for post-World War II generations, died January 30, 2007, at Inova Alexandria Hospital. He had congestive heart failure.

Mr. Stover was legislative director of the VFW national office in Washington from 1956 to 1975, followed by about a decade as special counsel to the House committee.

He worked on passage of an updated G.I. bill in 1966, which extended education benefits to Vietnam War veterans and others, and the 1984 “Montgomery G.I. Bill,” named after then-Rep. G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery (D-Miss.), which also provides education funds for millions of military personnel. The Montgomery bill was signed into law in 1987.

Francis Wilbert Stover was born in Bloomfield, Vermont, and raised in Bath, Maine. He was a 1940 graduate of Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, and served in the Army in Europe during World War II.

He participated in the Battle of the Bulge and the Rhineland campaign, and his decorations included the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.

He was a 1950 graduate of Georgetown University law school and became a lawyer for the Capital Transit Co., the bus and trolley-car predecessor of the Metro system.

He was a member of Columbia Baptist Church in Falls Church, his city of residence.

Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Loretta Scott Stover of Falls Church; two daughters, Christine Stover-Romero and Kathleen Stover, both of Chevy Chase; three sisters; and four granddaughters.

FRANCIS W. STOVER

On Tuesday, January 30, 2007, of Falls Church, VA. Beloved husband of Loretta S. Stover; loving father of Christine and Kathleen and father-in-law of John Romero and William Wenker. Also survived by three sisters and four granddaughters, Kathleen and Emilie Romero and Rebecca and Elizabeth Wenker.

Funeral service will be held at Columbia Baptist Church, Falls Church, Virignia, on Monday, February 5 at 11 a.m. Graveside services will be held at Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, February 8 at 10 a.m.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard