Adelaide Wang

Adelaide Marguerite "Midge" Wang of Falls Church, Virginia, passed away December 20, 2024 at the age of 91.
Midge was born January 20, 1933 to Mildred and Cecil Haas in Schenectady, New York and grew up in Scarsdale New York. She received her BA degree from Randolf-Macon Women's College where she was a member of Kappa Delta sorority and later earned a Masters of Fine Arts degree from George Washington University. She taught high school art in Fairfax County for twenty years, and later worked at Laura Ashley for ten years.
In 1956, Midge married Ernest Augustus Pinaud Jr. in Brooklyn, New York and had two sons. She later divorced and married Benjamin Knapp in 1967. She was widowed in 1974, and later married An Pang Wang. They were married until his death in 2013.
She is survived by her two sons, Ernest Augustus "Gus" Knapp and Michael Gaffney Knapp, their wives Terry Hooper and Amy Knapp, and two granddaughters, Ellen and Emma Knapp as well as many cousins and cherished friends.
As a young woman, Midge joined the Daughters of the American Revolution, which she was a member of for over seventy years. She served as the State Historian for the DC chapter and worked on many projects for the DAR, including a fundraiser for Congressional Cemetery.
Midge had an avid love of history and historic preservation. In 1963 she and her parents purchased Mount Hope, a historic house in Falls Church, Virginia. She was instrumental in restoring the property to its former grandeur and listing it as a Virginia Historic Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places. She generously supported various causes by opening her home for tours.
As a Falls Church resident, she served on the board of the Village Preservation and Improvement Society for several decades and was famous for her Special Treasures table and luncheons in period attire at the annual Attic Treasures sale. She served on the City of Falls Church Historical Commission for twenty years, was a leader in establishing the local historic markers, designing the signs herself, and later worked on the inclusion of Falls Church in the Virginia Civil War Trails marker program.
In 1995, Midge co-founded the Victorian Society at Falls Church and served on the Board of Directors and as the Program Chair for the remainder of her life. She worked tirelessly to promote the Victorian Heritage of Falls Church including the Falls Church Victorian walking tour map. Midge was forever enthusiastic and talented at attracting others to a cause. She was the driving force behind the Victorian-Style restoration of Frady Park including the installation of the fountain and gazebo. In addition, she helped support Cherry Hill Farmhouse through activities such as establishing the recreation of an 1860s Thanksgiving and the annual Civil War Day.
In 2018, Midge was recognized as Grand Marshall of the Falls Church Memorial Day Parade. In 2020, she received the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Historic Preservation Recognition Award and is honored each year during the Falls Church Women's History Walk.
Midge was a devout Episcopalian and was a member of the Church of The Ascension and Saint Agnes in Washington, DC for many years.
In addition to her love of history, Midge was a great animal lover. In lieu of flowers donations should be sent to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (https://bestfriends.org), or Alley Cat Allies (https://www.alleycat.org/), two of her favorite charities.
Midge will be laid to rest at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. A memorial service will be held at Everly Funeral Home in Falls Church, January 17 at 2:00pm.