James Russell Vechery

James Russell Vechery, 80, of Montross, VA, formerly of Maryland, went to be with our Lord on December 21, 2021. He was born on January 22, 1941 in Philadelphia, PA to the late Frederic and Marie (Thomas) Vechery. His wife, Edyth, also predeceased him, as did his brothers Henry (Helen) and Freddy. Those left behind to cherish his memory include his son Jim (Robin) Vechery, daughters Jenny (Mark, deceased) Washburn and Jackie Vechery, brothers Harvey (Linda) Vechery, Robert (Diann) Vechery, and sister Cynthia (Gary) Lett, along with three grandchildren (Taylor, Starner and Mari), three great grandchildren (Aera, Maeve and Ellie), many nieces and nephews, and a loving cousin Annette. After graduating from Northwood High School, he served 33 years in the United States Department of Agriculture as a Visual Information Specialist, where he was instrumental in such well-known projects as the food pyramid, Smokey the Bear, the first Metro sign, and Mickey Mouse. Jim was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. He was an avid sports fan and loved watching sports for hours on TV; he particularly loved his Washington Redskins and the Washington Nats. A very dedicated, loyal, and hard worker, he was extremely proud of his government service where he rose through the ranks to senior positions, and taught college courses to mentor the next generation of specialists. He also loved his time in the Boy Scouts where he was proud to be an Eagle Scout. A Celebration of Life service will be held Saturday January 22, 1:30 pm at Fort Lincoln Funeral Home, 3401 Bladensburg Road, Brentwood MD 20722, where the family will be gathering from 12:30 pm until the time of the service. A reception will follow the burial at 2:30 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in James’ name to the Alzheimer’s Association or the American Lung Association.