Dr. Velta Haas

Dr. Velta Haas

Dr. Velta Haas, 88, died on Wednesday, October 6, 2010, at the home of her daughter, Kristina Haas Lawwill, at Peavine Hollow Farm in Free Union, Virginia. Since her Alzheimer's diagnosis several years ago, Velta lived with her daughter, Kristina; and also her daughter, Anna Haas Wadsworth, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

As a high school student, Velta's favorite subject was geography, which she studied intensely. She realized her life's dream to travel the world through her work as ship's doctor on the USNS General Sturgis. Velta met her future husband, Henry E. Haas, onboard ship and their courtship spanned several continents as they worked and sailed together. One of their early dates was in Sydney, Australia, where they danced their first waltz. In 1950, Velta and Henry ultimately settled in New York, where she remained until her move to Scottsville, Virginia, in 1977.

Henry shared her passion for travel, and prior to his death in 1968, had sailed to all seven continents. In the 1950s and 1960's, he participated in four historic Operation Deep Freeze exploration missions to Antarctica.

Velta's life, as well as those of her fellow Latvians, was indelibly defined by the Russian occupation of Latvia in World War II. Many were forced to flee their native country in order to find refuge and freedom elsewhere, having to leave behind their land, homes, and possessions. As such, Velta always impressed the value of education, travel, and reading upon her children and others in her life. She often stressed that education is one of the few things that can never be taken away. She also felt strongly that people should be exposed to travel while they were still young, so that it would help to shape and define who they would ultimately become.

Velta received her medical degree in 1945 from the University of Innsbruck in Innsbruck, Austria. In New York, she also earned a master's degree in German from Hofstra University in 1968. In 1978, together with friend and former neighbor Kathy Coleman, Velta founded Scott's Landing Pre-school in Scottsville, Virginia, which was based on the Montessori method and is still in operation today. She considered this pre-school to be her greatest life's accomplishment.

She was born to Colonel Jekabs and Kristina Alberts Dombrovskis on November 10, 1921, in Jelgava, Latvia. Kristina died only nine days after having given birth to Velta and her twin sister, Aina. Her father died in 1949 and her stepmother, Lizette Dombrovskis, died in 1979. She was also predeceased by her sisters Doctor Laimdota Dombrovskis in Ohio, Daina Dombrovskis in Virginia, and Ilga Banga in Latvia. Her only brother, Olgerts Dombrovskis, was taken by the Russian army from the high school he was attending when he was sixteen; his whereabouts are still unknown.

She is survived by her three children, Kristina Haas Lawwill and her husband, Larry, of Free Union, Virginia, Anna Haas Wadsworth and her husband, Paul, of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Philip Henry Haas of Waynesboro, Virginia; and four grandchildren, Elizabeth Lawwill of Free Union, Virginia, Alexandra Lawwill of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Alison Wadsworth and Jonathan Wadsworth, both of Charlotte, North Carolina. She is also survived by her twin sister, Aina Garsils and her husband, Armands, of Babylon, New York.

Velta will be buried alongside her husband at Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York. The family will hold a private memorial graveside service to celebrate her life.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Charlottesville Free Clinic at 1138 Rose Hill Drive Charlottesville, VA 22903 or to the Alzheimer's Association, Western Carolina Chapter, 3800 Shamrock Drive, Charlotte, NC 28215.


This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.