Constance “Connie” Pettinger

We mourn the passing of Constance (Connie) Lee Brainard Pettinger, who died from the effects of Alzheimer's disease on September 10, 2025 in her home at Shenandoah Valley Westminster-Canterbury in Winchester, Virginia. She is survived by her devoted husband of 53 years, Larry, and several cousins.

Connie was born on March 8, 1939, in Middletown, New York and was the only daughter of caring parents Sharla and Carleton Brainard. She grew up in Binghamton, New York, where she was surrounded by loving aunts and uncles. She made lifelong friends in elementary, junior high, high school, and college. She received a B.A. degree in Psychology from the University of Rochester (New York) in 1961 and worked there after graduation in the admissions recruitment and selection program and as director of a residence program for 350 women students.

An opportunity to enroll in the Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California, took her to the West Coast for new adventures. Her M.A. degree in College Student Personnel Administration led her to find an exciting position as an Assistant Dean of Students at the University of California, Berkeley. These were the turbulent times of the Free Speech Movement at the University in the 1960s. As one of the younger staff members, she was frequently called upon to serve as a bridge between the university administration and the student activists of the day.

Connie met her husband-to-be Larry when he became her neighbor in an apartment building in Oakland. Larry was completing a graduate degree at the University, but it was unlikely that they would ever have met on campus. They married in Berkeley, California, on April 8, 1972. Larry's first job after graduate school took them to Washington D.C., where he worked for an environmental consulting company. They moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 1975, where Larry became a remote sensing scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey's Earth-observation satellite data center.

Connie's passion for caring for and helping others blossomed in Sioux Falls when she became the director of the Senior Companion Program, a Federally funded demonstration program that recruited low-income seniors to assist homebound clients with companionship and support. Her role was especially challenging in those days, as women were not often given such leadership roles in this region.

Larry transferred to the U.S. Geological Survey's headquarters in Reston in 1982. Connie became the Executive Director of Reston Interfaith Inc. (now known as Cornerstones), which was at the time a small non-profit social service agency serving low-income and homeless people and operating a developmental day care center, the Laurel Learning Center. Connie's organizational and networking skills and caring approach to her work helped the organization to grow significantly, expanding the supply of affordable housing in the area. Under her leadership, the Embry Rucker Community Shelter was opened in Reston in 1987. She brought together a diverse network of faith-based organizations, corporate partners, government agencies, donors, advocates, and volunteers who were deeply committed to strengthening and supporting families in need who live and work along the Dulles Corridor. In recognition of her leadership, in 1997, Connie was awarded a "Best of Reston" Award for Distinguished Community Service by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce and Reston Interfaith. She retired from her position in 2000.

After researching several life care communities on the east and west coasts, Connie and Larry moved to Shenandoah Valley Westminster Canterbury in Winchester, VA in 2015. They quickly settled in, and made new friends that have supported them as they faced the reality of Connie's memory loss.

Affiliation with churches where they lived has been a sustaining part of Connie and Larry's marriage. In Reston, they were both active in several ministries at St. Anne's Episcopal Church. They now belong to Christ Church, Winchester.

Travel has taken Connie and Larry around the United States and to several foreign countries in Europe, Asia, and South America. They honeymooned in Carmel, California, and developed a great love for the central California coast, making annual trips there throughout their married life until the arrival of the COVID pandemic. They combined their love of that area with their appreciation of art, collecting many plein aire oil paintings of coastal scenes from favorite artists. Connie played the violin as a young person, and was involved in choral groups in high school and college. She enjoyed a wide variety of music, including classical, folk, and bluegrass. She and Larry were always looking for a special concert that they could attend together.

Plans are pending for a memorial service.