Evelyn Frances van der Vate

On March 1 2024, Evelyn Frances Warlick van der Vate passed away peacefully in her sleep in Leesburg, Virginia. Fran was born to Glenard and Mozelle Warlick on February 12th,1942, in Shelby, North Carolina. She was preceded in death by her husband, Peter A. van der Vate. She is survived by her daughter, Sarah van der Vate; and her stepchildren Jan van der Vate, Susan van der Vate Friese, and Elizabeth van der Vate. The daughter of an English teacher and a physicist, Fran attended Coker College, UNC Chapel Hill, and Duke University, ultimately holding graduate degrees in music and social work. She enjoyed careers as an organist and a K-12 music educator, and as an LCSW she became the Director of Social Work at Physicians Memorial Hospital in La Plata, MD. After marrying and becoming a mother she retired from social work to do administrative and accounting work for Precision Import Service, the car repair shop she and Pete opened, owned, and operated together for 25 years. Fran had a sharp sense of humor and a quick and clever wit, and could always find laughter in dark times. Active in garden club, she had a green thumb and an eye for beauty. She had a creative and artistic hand, especially adept at sewing and embroidery. Music followed her everywhere, in church choir she sang as a second alto and in the car she would harmonize with everything from the King’s Singers to Jim Croce. She loved learning for the joy of it, and was the reigning Jeopardy! champion of the household. She spent summers in the Outer Banks building memories with her family (a bit of a lead-foot-Lucy, but one too ladylike to describe herself as such, she often made impressive time on the drive down.) When not on the beach the avid reader could be found relaxing next to a pile of books, or working on a 1000+ piece puzzle with a Bloody Mary (lovingly-crafted by Pete, who took the task very seriously.) She delighted in the magic of Christmas, wrapping gifts in paper with crisp folds of perfection and trimmed with cascades of carefully-curled ribbons, filling the house with light and music, and baking cookies of such variety and quantity it was clear why she had redesigned her kitchen to have two ovens. Warm, welcoming, and true to her southern roots, she loved to bring people together with food and made everything with butter and love. Visitation will be held from 4-7pm on Friday, March 15th and funeral services will be held at 11am on Saturday, March 16th, both at Money & King Funeral Home in Vienna, VA. Interment at Fairfax City Cemetery will follow the funeral service. Flowers can be sent to Money & King.