Rebecca Jo Albers

rebecca albers
Rebecca Jo (Ross) Albers

Surrounded by family members, Rebecca Jo “Becky” (Ross) Albers, 70, died Dec. 20, 2022, at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital in Fairfax, Va., after a sudden illness.

Becky was born Aug. 14, 1952, in Topeka, Kan., to Marjorie Jean “Marge” (Campbell) Ross and Stephen William “Steve” Ross Jr. She was the middle child, sandwiched between sister Stephanie Ross (a year older) and sister Jennifer Sue (Ross) Bealey (six years younger). The inseparable Ross Sisters were known to occasionally reenact the “Sisters” number from the movie “White Christmas” – at least until laughter made singing impossible.

Growing up the daughter of a career Air Force man, Becky moved from Kansas to Spain to Nebraska to Maryland, back to Nebraska, then to Virginia. She attended two different high schools: Surrattsville High school in Clinton, Md., and Bellevue High School in Bellevue, Neb., where she graduated. She attended three different colleges: Radford College in Virginia, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Lincoln, Neb., and Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. She earned a bachelor’s degree (journalism) at UNL and a master’s degree (journalism) at Northwestern.

Becky worked as a summer intern at The Omaha World-Herald, a reporter at The Fremont Tribune in Fremont, Neb., at the Boca Raton News in Florida, as a reporter and editor at The Miami Herald in Miami, Fla., for nearly 14 years and for nearly 17 years at the Newspaper Association of America in Virginia, where she rose to managing editor of NAA’s Presstime magazine, then became an NAA vice president. Late in her career, she worked for ManTech International Corporation, editing federal government contract proposals for national security programs. Becky retired in 2018.

On Oct. 27, 1979, Becky married Wesley Earl “Wes” Albers in Mead Chapel at First United Methodist Church in Omaha, Neb. Wes, too, was a University of Nebraska-Lincoln journalism graduate and a “military brat,” the son of a career Army man. Becky and Wes didn’t know each other in college, meeting instead at a party for Nebraska journalism grads working for Florida newspapers.

Becky and Wes have two sons, Ross Wesley Albers of Westminster, Md., and Reed Stephen Albers of Bristow, Va. Ross married Emily (Davis) Albers; they have three daughters: Tilly, Charlie and Gracie. Reed married Sharie (Reyes) Albers; they have two daughters: Kinleigh and Bellatrix. Becky had a way of making everyone feel like they were the center of her life, but she doted on her two sons and those five granddaughters!

Becky loved to travel, as did husband Wes. Her reporting skills made her an excellent travel planner, and she could easily have made “travel agent” her life’s work! In 2022, she and Wes took a Caribbean cruise, visited Arizona to see Sedona and the Grand Canyon and took a three-week trip in October that included Milan and Lake Como in Italy and a Mediterranean cruise with ports in Italy, France and Spain. She was well into planning a trip to Alaska in 2023 for Wes’ 70th birthday, and four days before her death was up late booking sales-price shore excursions for a Holy Land cruise next fall.

Becky also loved dogs, particularly her son Reed’s dog Rodney, a Pomeranian. Denied her own dog by a husband with allergies and an aversion to pet duties, Becky found a measure of revenge in visiting the German shepherd, Labrador retrievers, Pomeranians and Pomskies that her sons and daughters-in-law welcomed into their homes!

Visitation: 1-4pm Jan. 2 at Money & King Funeral Home, Vienna, Va.

Funeral: 11am Jan. 3 at Money & King Funeral Home

Burial: 2pm at Stonewall Memory Gardens, Manassas, Va

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Susan G. Komen (breast cancer foundation). Becky’s mother died of breast cancer.

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  1. Becky was one in a million and has left many wonderful memories for all to share. She was an amazing woman who accomplished much in this world with a loving and giving heart along side her husband Wes. Her family was her heart and soul and she will be missed by many.

  2. Becky is my friend, actually best friend, for 52 years. She taught me how to live with purpose, to listen more than talk, to show compassion and caring, to be a good enough mom and wife, and to love like there is no tomorrow. I believe heaven is for real and that I will see my friend again. Until then, I hold her, and all her family and friends, close in my heart and mind.

    Jane “Menninga” Schuchardt
    together with husband Rick,
    son Ryan (also in heaven),
    and son Philip

  3. Becky’s skill with words and ability to know the right thing to say or do would come in handy right now. However, lacking those talents, we hope you know how much love we have in our hearts for Becky and that you are in our thoughts and prayers.

    May we keep her spirit alive for her granddaughters by sharing stories of Becky’s love, compassion, and sense of humor with them.

    Love,
    Yana and Merril

  4. So sorry to hear about Becky’s passing. We have many fond memories of you girls and the Rainbow events we all enjoyed so much! Thank you for letting me know. God Bless, Nancy Worm

    • Becky often talked about her Rainbow Girl days. She always joked that she could have been elected [whatever the highest position is] if she hadn’t forgotten to lobby the choir members!

  5. Tom and I are so very sorry to hear about Becky’s passing. T.J just felt awful when he called to tell us. We have so many fond memories of Becky from our Bucknell Lax days. Her warm smile always made everybody welcome. I recall how much she enjoyed a Bruster’s ice cream cone on the long ride from Virginia to Lewisburg for a game. In spite of having a Bruster’s in my home town, it was Becky that actually “introduced” me to it. So many years have passed, yet I always think of Becky with fond memories whenever I go to Bruster’s. Our sincere sympathy to Wes, Ross, Reed & their wives and daughters on the loss of such a lovely lady.
    Pat Wallace

    • Thanks, Pat and Tom. Bruster’s used to offer a free ice cream cone if you came in in your pajamas. We always wished your cone was free if you stopped in wearing Bucknell Bison lacrosse paraphernalia from head to toe! We have such fond memories of those days.

  6. I have so many fond memories of our friendship back in the 60’s and 70’s in Bellevue, Nebraska. We had so much fun in school, Rainbow Girls, Pep Club, slumber parties, and shopping excursions at the mall. Typical teenage fun and antics kept us in stitches! She will be missed by her adoring family and friends. I’ll always treasure our memories and special friendship!

  7. I have very fond memories of times that I spent with Becky in school and Rainbow Girls. I am very sorry to hear about her passing. I know that she will be greatly missed.

  8. My family lived in Topeka, Kansas during the same time as Becky and her family. Our parents were friends, both stationed at Forbes Air Force Base. I have memories of Becky and her sister Stephanie coming over to play. We’d spend hours in the garage and outside on the swing set! Fun times!


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