B6 EZ RE THE WASHINGTON POST.WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2 , 2022
1964 she was needed to care for
him and their two children.
“I became the nurse and the
Italian mother,” Ms. James told
the Times. “I wanted to be near
my family. Besides, I couldn’t pos-
sibly turn away from Tony. He was
in a wheelchair for years. They
were going to amputate his leg at
one point because of gangrene,
but we saved it. I used to bathe the
leg six times a day.”
Ms. James mounted a come-
back after Acquaviva’s death in
1986, including engagements at
Carnegie Hall. She also oversaw
the remastering and rereleasing
of many of her early recordings,
which she and Acquaviva had the
foresight to buy from MGM soon
after her early retirement.
In 1997, Ms. James married Ber-
nard “Ben” A. Schriever, a retired
Air Force general who helped de-
velop the intercontinental ballis-
tic missile program. They had
long been social acquaintances on
the West Palm Beach social scene,
and he had been among the first
to encourage her return to sing-
ing. “I was a bent-wing sparrow,
and he pushed me to come back,”
she told the Oakland (Calif.) Tri-
bune.
Schriever died in 2005. In addi-
tion to her son, of Alabama, survi-
vors include her daughter, Angela
Kwoka of Florida; two brothers;
two sisters; and two grandchil-
dren.
As Ms. James revived her ca-
reer — she stopped performing
about 15 years ago — she said she
was greeted by audiences as a
long-lost friend or with curious
stares (“It is either ‘Joni, where
have you been?’ or ‘Joni who?’ ”).
But she told the Tribune that she
never had any intention of adapt-
ing to an updated repertoire.
“I resent rock-and-roll because
it only tells one half,” she said. “All
they have is rhythm, rhythm,
rhythm, which is great. But when
you fall in love and want to be
romantic, you still need that gor-
geous melody.”
“I can’t live without singing,”
she added, “ because I love music,
and how can you live without
love?”then steered her to MGM Rec-
ords, which signed her in 1952.
Her single “Why Don’t You Be-
lieve Me?” stayed on the charts for
weeks and established her as an
overnight recording star.
She never again generated the
level of commercial fervor that
greeted that debut single, but she
maintained a steady output of
pop songs for the next dozen years
before mostly dropping out of the
business, except for periodic con-
cert and nightclub engagements
and appearances at U.S. military
posts overseas. Acquaviva, whom
she had wed in 1956, developed a
severe case of diabetes, and byians breathe and Italians sing.
There was always music around
the house, but when I thought of
real singers, I thought of Sarah
Vaughan and Billie Holiday and
Doris Day and Hank Williams. I
was just little Joni. ... I always felt I
had to work hard to be good
enough. I had to tell the story and
pour everything into a song ... my
heart, my soul, my guts.”
After she performed on singer
Johnnie Ray’s popular TV show,
reportedly as a last-minute substi-
tute, a deluge of fan letters drew
the attention of the show’s spon-
sor, an appliance merchandiser. A
representative with the advertiserGiovanna Carmella Babbo was
born in Chicago on Sept. 22, 1930,
one of six children raised by a
widowed mother during the De-
pression. She was a dancer in her
youth and began babysitting,
modeling undergarments, and ic-
ing cakes in a bakery to pay her
way to New York to study ballet.
She also sang at fraternal clubs
and in talent contests, and said
she was astonished by the warm
audience reaction to her voice,
which she had considered inferior
to her dancing ability.
“Singing was something we
grew up with,” she told the Los
Angeles Times. “I’m Italian. Ital-BY ADAM BERNSTEINJoni James, a dulcet-voiced pop
singer whose 1952 recording of
the ballad “Why Don’t You Believe
Me?” sold millions of copies and
established her as a Hit Parade
queen for a dozen years before she
largely exited the music world,
died Feb. 20 in West Palm Beach,
Fla. She was 91.
Her son, Michael Acquaviva,
confirmed the death but not did
provide a specific cause.
In the pre-Beatles era, Ms.
James flourished as a petite,
r aven-haired musical star whose
warm, plaintive and slightly hus-
ky vocals — often backed by lush
string arrangements — were fa-
vorably compared to those of
b etter-known contemporaries
such as Doris Day and Connie
Francis.
Ms. James was 21 when “Why
Don’t You Believe Me?” became a
No. 1 hit. Her other signature
recordings included a version of
Hank Williams’s “Your Cheatin’
Heart” as well as “Have You
Heard,” “How Important Can It
Be?” “There Goes My Heart,”
“Mama, Don’t Cry at My Wed-
ding” and “Little Things Mean a
Lot.”
Her 1960 album “Joni James at
Carnegie Hall,” featuring a sym-
phony and chorus conducted by
her then-husband and musical
director, Anthony “Tony” Acqua-
viva, was another commercial
success and included jazz-pop
standards such as “When I Grow
Too Old to Dream” and “Let There
Be Love.” Lindsay Planer, a critic
for AllMusic.com, praised the
“maturity and refined elegance in
her delivery,” setting her apart
from other teen idols of the pony-
tail pop era.
Ms. James, who developed a fan
base as far away as the Philippines
through overseas tours, told the
Associated Press in 1960 that she
navigated a musical path through
the surging appeal of rock-and-
roll with a simple philosophy:
“Sing for the 20-year-olds, the
30-year-olds and the 50-year-olds.
Forget the 12-year-olds, because
they’ll soon forget you.”
JONI JAMES, 91
1950s pop singer was an overnight recording star
ABC PHOTO ARCHIVES/DISNEY GENERAL ENTERTAINMENT CONTENT/GETTY IMAGES
Joni James performs on “ American Bandstand” in 1 958. S he was 21 when her 1 952 recording of the
ballad “Why Don’t You Believe Me?” became a No. 1 hit and stayed on the charts for weeks.OF NOTEObituaries of residents from the
District, Maryland and Northern
Virginia.
Virginia Maxwell,
fiberworks artist
Virginia Maxwell, 94, a fiber-
works artist who created capes,
hats, jackets and other decora-
tive and functional apparel, died
Dec. 17 at her home in Spring-
field, Va. The cause was hyper-
tensive heart disease, said a
daughter-in-law, Virginia Capu-
to.
Mrs. Maxwell was born Vir-
ginia Irby in Mercedes, Tex., and
had lived in the Washington area
since 1962.
She was a member of the
Fiberworks artists group at the
Torpedo Factory Art Center inAlexandria, Va., and w as a cre-
ator of crocheted clothing deco-
rations.
She taught fiberworks art at
senior centers.Warren Minami,
finance officer
Warren Minami, 83, the direc-
tor of the Bureau of Computing
Services at the InternationalMonetary Fund from 1982 to
2001, died Jan. 9 at a hospital in
Bethesda, Md. The cause was
complications of covid-19, in-
cluding pneumonia and a stroke,
said a son, Wayde Minami.
Dr. Minami, a resident of Poto-
mac, Md., was born in San Fran-
cisco. During World War II, he
was confined with other Japa-
nese Americans at the Gila RiverWar Relocation Center in Ari-
zona.
Before joining the IMF, he was
a corporate vice president of
American Security Corp., a vice
president of Chase Manhattan
Bank a nd assistant director of
the division of data processing
for the Federal Reserve Board of
Governors.
— From staff reportsobituariesDEATH NOTICEAGNEW
VICKIAGNEW
PassedawayThursday,February24, 2 022.
Vickiwas bornin Hamilton,Ohioto Donald
and JuanitaFrazee.She workedin the Fed-
eral Governmentfor 40 years,startingout
as asecretaryat the Pentagonand ending
as abudgetmanagerfor the Department
of the Interior.Vicki leavesbehindher
husbandof 33 years,John Hummel;son,
ZakryHummel;brothers,SteveandRon
Frazee.AMemorialServicewillbeheldon
Saturday,March5, 2022at Adams-Green
Funeral Home,721 EldenStreet,Herndon,
Virginia 20170 at 10 a.m.MARYE.BACON
OfBurtonsville,MD.BornOctober16, 1926
passedawaypeacefullyonFebruary23,2022.
Shewilltrulybemissedbyallwhoknewand
lovedher.ServicesonFriday,March4, 11
a.m.atHowellFuneral Home,10220Guilford
Rd.,Jessup,MD20794.Serviceslivestreamed.BACONBADLER
MURIELBADLER(Age93)
OnSunday,February27,2022,
MURIEL BADLER of Silver
Spring, MD.Beloved wifeof
the late HermanBadler.Dear
motherof DanielleBadler,El-
len (Richard)Cookand Susan
(John)Knott.Cherishedgrandmotherof
AlisonFaber,Meredith Badler,Kathryn
and KelseyKnottand great-grandmother
ofHugo,Bennett,andOliveFaber.Loving
sistertothelateSeymourBossuk.Funeral
serviceswill be heldon ThursdayMarch3,
2022 at12p.m. at Star of DavidMemorial
Chapel,WestBabylon,NY.Intermentfol-
lowingat WellwoodCemetery,WestBab-
ylon,NY.Memorialcontributionsmaybe
madeto The RiderwoodBenevolentCare
Fund301-572-8396. Arrangements en-
trustedto TORCHINSKYHEBREWFUNERAL
HOME:202-541-1001.DANIELMARKBJELLOS
Peacefully,withhisfamilybyhisside,on
February24,2022.Survivedbyhiswife,Jami;
daughter,Blair;sisterDavinaPhillips;sister
DianeBoyle(Robert);brotherDarrellBjellos;
twonieces,andtwonephews.Therewillbea
private,familymemorial.BJELLOSJANEANNEBLACKBURN
June12, 1948 -February1, 2022
JaneAnne(Morper)Blackburn,73,of Arlington,
Virginia,adevotedwife,motherandgrand-
motherpassedawayathomesurroundedby
familyonFebruary1,2022.BorninSeattle,
Washington,anddaughtertoJosephandCor-
neliaMorper.ThefamilymovedtoArlington,
VAin 1958 whereJanewasagraduateof
YorktownHighSchool.ShereceivedherB.Sin
EducationfromRadfordUniversitywhereshe
metPrestonBlackburnwhoattendednearby
VirginiaTech.Thetwomarriedin 1970 and
wereblessedwiththreechildren,Jennifer
Coogen,CarrieSellers,andBrianBlackburn.
Janewasatalentedteacherandservedover
30 yearsteachinginPrinceWilliamCounty
Schools(mostnotably WoodbridgeMiddleand
MarumscoHillsElementary).Alwaysbeing
thereforfamilywasherlife'swork,managing
herchildren'sactivesportscalendarsand
nevermissedanyopportunitytoattendher
grandchildrenssportingandextra-curricular
activities.She was an avid reader and
researcherof howtohelpherfamilythrough
anythingthatlifethrewat them.Herdedication
to family,kindnessandabilityto listenandcare
wereattributesthatwilllivewithherfamily
andthoseshetouchedthroughoutherlife.
SurvivedbyherlovinghusbandPrestonBlack-
burn;herchildrenJennifer(Michael)Coogen,
Carrie(Jeffery)Sellers,and Brian(Lauren)
Blackburn;andsix grandchildrenLylaand
QuinnCoogen,RyanandAdelynSellers,and
PrestonandEllisBlackburn;andhersiblings
CatherineMorperandMaryKennedy;andpre-
cededin deathbyherbrotherDanielMorper.
Therewillbeasmallcelebrationoflifefor
immediatefamilymembersonly.Inlieuof
flowers,thefamilyencouragesdonationsbe
madein hermemory to HospiceCare-Capital
Caring.BLACKBURNRONALDALFREDDOOLEY
ThemembersoftheFairfaxCo.
RetiredPoliceAssociation.regret
toannouncethedeathof Ronald
AlfredDooleyonFebruary24,
2022.HewasaSergeantassigned
totheWestSpringfieldDistrict
Stationatthetimeofhisretire-
mentin 1979.Visitationis Sunday, March6,
2022,from4p.m.to6p.m.,attheDemaine
Funeral Home,5308BacklickRoad,Springfield,
VA22151.
FuneralServiceisMonday,March7,2022,
from11:30a.m.to12:30p.m.,attheSt.
Mark’sLutheranChurch, 5800 BacklickRoad,
Springfield,VA22150.
GravesideServiceis Monday,March7, 2022,
from1p.m.to1:30p.m.,atFairfaxMemorial
Park, 9900 BraddockRoad,Fairfax,VA22032.DOOLEYELMERJAMESFOLMER
CAROLJEANFOLMER
CarolJeanOltmanns,Folmer,bornSeptember
24, 1942 in GlenEcho,MD, MontgomeryCoun-
ty to herparentsAdolfOltmannsJr.andMattie
JaneLull,Otlmanns, passedawayat 79years
oldonFebruary10, 2022 athome.Shewas
dearlylovedandalwayshadsuchanenergetic
spirit.CaroljoinsherlatehusbandElmerJames
Folmer,knownas"Sonny"bornMay28, 1939
borninExeter,PA,LuzerneCountytohis
parents ElmerLudwigFolmerandGraceAgnus
Hopkins,Folmer.Elmerpassedawayat theage
of78,onDecember23, 2017 alsoathome.
ElmerandCarolbothweredevotedgiving
Lutherans,committedfaithfullytoourLord
andSaviorJesusChrist.Theyweremarried
atSt.Paul'sLutheranChurchandrenewed
theirvowsto eachotherat St.John'sLutheran
Church,totaling 51 ofyearsofmarriageat
Elmer'spassing.Theyraisedtheirfamilyin
Greenbriarof FairfaxCounty,lovedtheirfamily,
homeandlongtimefriendsdeeplyandlived
lifeto theirfullest!
Theyspenteveryminutepossibletogether
dancing,atthebeachandweekendsin
Charlestowntonameafewfavoritesand
trulyenjoyedtheircountlesstravelsaround
theworld,mostlybycruiselines.Elmerjoined
theAirForcewhichbroughthimtoFairfax
anddedicatedhisentireprofessionallifeto the
FAAinLeesburgasanAirTrafficController.
Hehadabeautifulvoicealwayssingingand
in hissparetimeyouwouldfindhimbuilding
somethingneworin hisyardtendingtothe
lawnandgardeningfreshvegetables.Butif
hisPittsburghSteelerswereplaying,allthings
stopped!Carolwasdedicatedtoraisingthe
kids,workedat theChurchandhercommunity,
lovedswimming,especiallyat GlenEchoPark
asachild,antiqueshoppingandrummage
sales,bowledonaleagueandplayedsoccer
everychanceshehadintoherlate60'sandhad
agift forgrowingbeautifulplantsandflowers.
ElmerandCarolaresurvivedbytheirthree
childrenCherylL.Folmer,DawnL.Folmer,
O'QuinnandEricJ. Folmerandtheirthree
grandchildrenDylonJ.Quick,JamesonD.
O'QuinnandBraedenO'Quinn.
ElmerandCarolaredearlylovedbytheirfamily
andfriendsandwillbetrulymissed!Their
memory willliveonwiththegreatestaffection!
ServicewillbeheldatSt.Paul'sLutheran
Church, 7426 IdylwoodRd,FallsChurch,VA
22043,SundayMarch6at2:30p.m.andfol-
lowingtheywillbelaidtoresttogetherin St
Paul'sMemorialGardens.FOLMERin Ukraine, your heart goes out to
these people, seeing how they’re
defending themselves,” said
Cook, who is an attorney in Roch-
ester, N.Y. “There’s a sense of
helplessness that comes with
that. It’s not like I can show up in
person and pick up a gun and
help them.”
Christians have historically
fasted for all kinds of reasons, and
Ash Wednesday reminds people
of their own mortality and lack of
control, said Tyler Wigg-Steven-
son, an Anglican priest in Toronto
who has done activism opposing
the use of nuclear weapons.
“It’s interesting to think, peo-
ple are latching onto fasting as a
way to give them agency,” he said.
“But it’s the spiritual move Chris-
tians have always made. Here’s
this war we can’t control, but
we’re going to acknowledge our
dependence on a higher power.”
In the biblical story of Jonah,
when the prophet warns Nineveh
of impending destruction be-
cause of its wickedness, the city
turned to fasting and prayer, and
God decided not to destroy the
city. Fasting engenders weakness,
Wigg-Stevenson said, and it
brings home how dependent and
vulnerable people are.
“When you think about fasting,
especially toward an end rather
than for self-improvement, it’s
not about your own agency but a
recognition of your dependency
on God. We fast and repent be-
cause it’s our way of drawing
close to the reality of death for
us,” he said. “After we fast, you
become desperate for food. It’s a
way of appealing to the hope of
life that defeats death. It feels
appropriate to do that in the face
of a war. We appeal to the Lord of
life, to the one who can offer
resurrection in the face of death.”the people of Ukraine, Jared Cook
said that even though his denom-
ination, the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints,
doesn’t observe Lent or Ash
Wednesday, he plans to join oth-
ers who are fasting.
LDS members typically fast
during one Sunday of each month
and are asked to give the money
they would have spent on food to
the LDS Church, which then dis-
tributes it to people in need. Cook
said he felt like he didn’t need to
wait for LDS leadership to call for
a fast for Ukrainians.
“Scrolling Twitter, watching
the updates of what’s happeninglistens to our prayers. This is at
least something I can do.”
Though she left the Catholic
Church of her youth, Patricia
Yingst, who now describes herself
as spiritual, saw Pope Francis’s
call to fast and plans to join him.
“I wish I could hug a Ukrainian
right now. All I can do is meditate
and pray at the moment,” said
Yingst, who is based in Oroville,
Calif. “Fasting is something I
know I can accomplish to be
supportive to people trying to
make a difference. It seems like a
little thing, but I’m doing what I
can.”
Hoping to show solidarity withlong to the Roman Catholic
Church. Dan Gibson, who is part
of the Anglican Church of North
America and would not typically
follow Pope Francis’s direction,
said that he felt like fasting on
Ash Wednesday was an ecumeni-
cal moment for Christians world-
wide after he saw Archbishop of
Canterbury Justin Welby, the
spiritual leader of Anglicans
worldwide, join Francis’s call.
“I’m a lawyer, not a soldier, not
a paramedic. I’m not a person
who can go over to Ukraine and
do much to help anyone,” said
Gibson, who lives in Durham,
N.C. “As a Christian, I believe Godwings of Christianity, most of
whom will begin Lent on March 7
and end on the day they celebrate
Easter, April 24.
During Lent, many Catholics
and some Protestants give up
something during the period and
do forms of fasting, such as re-
fraining from eating meat. Many
groups are holding prayer ser-
vices specifically on behalf of
Ukrainians this year. For exam-
ple, on Wednesday, Catholic Uni-
versity’s Ukrainian Church Stud-
ies Center will hold a day-long
prayer vigil in the Basilica of the
National Shrine’s Byzantine cha-
pel in Washington.
Though fasting is not obliga-
tory for Ukrainian Catholics as it
is for Roman Catholics, the Rev.
Robert Hitchens, pastor of the
Ukrainian Catholic National
Shrine of the Holy Family in
Northeast Washington, D.C., said
he has encouraged his congrega-
tion to participate in the global
fast on Wednesday.
“Everyone is worked up and on
pins and needles,” Hitchens said
of members of his congregation.
“With Lent coming, it’s a time for
intensified prayer and doing good
works. It’s a way for people to do
something concretely.”
Other Christian leaders have
also called for prayer on Ash
Wednesday on behalf of Ukraini-
ans. Five Christian world com-
munions — including the World
Communion of Reformed
Churches, the Lutheran World
Federation and the Mennonite
World Conference — will be hold-
ing a joint Ash Wednesday prayer
service for peace in Ukraine.
And several people have said
that they plan to fast on Wednes-
day even though they don’t be-
FASTING FROM B1
Ahead of Lent, movement grows to fast for Ukraine
AMANDA ANDRADE-RHOADES FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
Joseph Stillwell receives Communion from the Rev. Robert Hitchens during service Sunday at the
Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family in Northeast Washington.