John Hugh Tuohy

Born and raised in Bethesda, Maryland, he claimed membership in that exclusive DC Metro area club – a life-long Washington native. After high school, John attended and graduated from Georgetown University in 1976 with a degree in foreign service. In an interesting turn, he returned to Georgetown shortly thereafter to obtain a master’s degree in accounting and passed his certified public accounting exam on the first try. So launched his distinguished 30-year career in local government finance and accounting. Among his many places of employment in Virginia were the Arlington County Treasurer’s Office (deputy treasurer for cash and investments), City of Falls Church (director of finance), Virginia Railway Express (director of finance) and Fauquier County (director of finance). In keeping with his belief to give back to the profession, John remained an active member of the Government Finance Officers’ Association and its state chapter, the Virginia Government Finance Officers’ Association. He served as the chapter’s president in the late 1990s.

John was an avid reader with many differing interests and hobbies, particularly military history, biographies and travel. He was a long-time member of a Civil War reenacting group, the 28th Massachusetts, Company B, and served as its captain for four years. At the age of 47, he took up Aikido, a Japanese defensive martial art. Through hard work and persistence, he successfully obtained the rank of “dan” or teacher. He was also a member of the Arlington Historical Society and served as the Society’s treasurer.

John had an infectious sense of humor and enjoyed telling either long-winded Irish tales (along with an Irish brogue for maximum effect and affect) or the much maligned, but funny, puns known as “Dad” jokes. He was known for his near encyclopedic knowledge on a myriad of subjects and for a relentless pursuit of further knowledge. He was known for his kindness and willingness to help no matter the task set in front of him. He was an optimistic, accomplished and confident man.

John is survived by his wife of 24 years, Mary, his daughter, Katherine and son John R., daughter-in-law, Kaye and his three grandchildren, Autumn, Jackson and Leighton. Also surviving are his first wife, Marilee, along with his sister Marion and his two younger brothers, Justin and Albert. He is preceded in death by his parents, John H. Sr. and Ellen B. and his older brother, Thomas (Larry) Tuohy.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA). Their website is www.lbda.org/donate. Please check “Add a dedication”.

Their mail address is: 912 Killian Hill Road, SW Suite 105

Lilburn, GA 30047

A mass of Christian burial will be held at St. Agnes Catholic Church, Arlington, on April 10, 2026 at 11:00 am.

We would like to thank the caregiver staff at Sunrise at Bluemont Park, Arlington for their wonderful care of John over the past few years. We extend a special thank you to the doctors and staff at Kaiser Permanente in Falls Church and Tysons Corner. We also extend a thank you to Murphy Funeral Home for their guidance and compassion during this very difficult time.