Anita Lonnes Nolen

Born on January 20, 1941, in Chicago, IL, Anita built a life marked by scholarship, service, and commitment to her family and the institutions and communities she supported. She grew up in Western Springs, IL, and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in history from Lawrence University and a master’s degree in history from the College of William & Mary. She moved to Washington, DC in 1964 to begin her professional career at the Smithsonian Institution as an archivist. After a few years, she moved to the Library of Congress to work as an archivist/researcher before leaving the workforce to stay at home with her children. She later returned to work as an archivist/systems librarian at the Kennedy Institute of Bioethics at Georgetown University where she worked for 26 years until her retirement.

Anita met her husband, Edd, in Washington, DC, through a mutual friend. Their first date was at the RKO Keith Theater in DC to see ‘Goldfinger’. They married in June 1967 in Anita’s hometown of Western Springs, Illinois. They welcomed their first daughter, Kristin Elise in 1969. Their son, Kevin Daniel was born in 1973 but sadly passed away at age 6 months. In 1975, Leslie Erin was born. Edd’s daughters from a previous marriage, Jan and Susie, were always part of the family and Anita and Edd made frequent trips to Alabama to see them and extended family. Family was an important part of Anita’s life; she enjoyed family meals and spending time together whether it included games or just sitting and catching up. She adored being a grandma and also enjoyed travel to visit relatives and friends. Among her most memorable trips were visits to Sweden and a cruise along the Norwegian Fjords.

Outside of work, Anita was a committed volunteer in the community. She was a longtime member of Resurrection Evangelical Lutheran Church in Arlington, Virginia, where she served as Church Council President and worked on several committees. She served the larger church community by helping to create the Metropolitan Washington DC Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. She then served as the Synod’s first secretary. Her volunteer service extended well beyond the church. She volunteered with Committee of 100 (Advance Arlington), National Capital Treatment and Recovery, the Kiwanis Club of Arlington, and Fellowship Square. She and Edd were honored by National Capital Treatment and Recovery with the first NCTR Community Inspiration Award in 2024. She also supported her children through volunteer work with Girl Scouts, Yorktown High School Band, and other school-related activities. Throughout her life she modeled a life of service to those around her and although reserved in nature, she was not afraid to speak up about what mattered to her.

Anita is survived by her husband of almost 60 years, Edd Nolen, her children Kristin (Bill) Wine, and Leslie Nolen, stepdaughters Jan Reed and Susie (Wesley) Haynes, her grandchildren Nolen Wine and Julia Wine, and step-grandchildren Amanda (Zach) Bryant, Hunter (Caitlin) Haynes and Riley (Natalie) Haynes, her brothers Jerry Lonnes and Fred Lonnes, and several great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, her son, Kevin Nolen, and her brother Dewey Lonnes.

A funeral service is planned for November 21, 2026, 11am, at Resurrection Evangelical Lutheran Church, 6201 Washington Blvd, Arlington, VA. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Resurrection Evangelical Lutheran Church Benevolence Fund, https://www.relcarlington.org/giverelc National Capital Treatment and Recovery, https://form-renderer-app.donorperfect.io/give/donate-to-nctr-today and the Arlington Food Assistance Center, https://afac.org/donate-funds/