DIANE SONNENBERG

SONNENBERG DIANE SONNENBERG (Age 61) Passed away at home in Annandale, VA, on August 18, 2012 after an extended illness. Diane was born in Brooklyn, NY, and grew up on Long Island in Cedarhurst, NY. She attended Lawrence High School where she was a Merit Scholar; she received degrees in Mathematics from SUNY Buffalo (B.A., magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) and the University of Maryland (M.A.). She taught probability and discrete mathematics at the Alexandria campus of NoVA community college in the 70's. From 1974 until 2010, she worked in information technology at CSC, the Center for Naval Analyses, Newbridge Networks, ValueOptions, and WilmerHale, teaching and helping people use computers effectively as their importance in society emerged. She loved reading, gardening needlework, gourmet cooking, playing Killer Sudoku on her MacBook Air, and cheering for Redskins football. She was a long-time member of the Beth Chai Jewish Humanist congregation where she helped start the Sunday morning education program. A perfect day for Diane would begin with reading a good book or the newspaper with coffee and classical music playing; having a latte and nice lunch with her husband while watching a movie or a recording of MasterPiece Mystery or House; taking an afternoon drive through the Virginia countryside; and ending with dinner and gelato at a good restaurant. She and Grady relished wonderful trips in recent years to San Francisco, Ireland, England, and traveling by train between Amsterdam and Brugge. She loved talking with her mother, Elynor Sonnenberg, every Sunday morning until her death in 2002. Diane is survived by her husband Grady Campbell of Annandale, VA, son Matthew Campbell of Brookline, MA, brothers Barton (Cynthia) Sonnenberg of East Rockaway, NY, and Michael (Carol) Sonnenberg of New York City, father Kenneth Sonnenberg of New York City, a good number of nieces, nephews, and cousins, and many good friends from high school, Beth Chai, WilmerHale, and other activities. Diane has been interred in Alexandria's Bethel Cemetery and a memorial service to remember her will be held at 2 p.m. on Monday, August 27 in the River Road Unitarian Universalist Church auditorium, 6301 River Road, Bethesda, MD, presided over by Rabbi Arthur Blecher of Beth Chai. Donations in Diane's name should be made to Doctors Without Borders or Martha's Table.