Erna Nave

Arlene Nave loved her family, her church and her community. She was a worker who never did anything half-way and she developed loving relationships wherever she found herself. She had an incredibly giving spirit. Before Arlene Rawlings was married, she worked at the Malcolm Grow Medical Center on Andrews Air Force Base. There she met Thurman Nave who was stationed at Andrews. After they married, she continued to work there until their children Lyndon, Kevin and Keith were born. She took a break from her career to raise the boys. Arlene returned to Malcolm Grow in 1975 until she retired in 1994. She was highly recognized in her job, which she loved. She earned numerous awards, and was well regarded by the hospital staff with whom she worked. When Arlene worked for the Edgemeade School for Troubled Youth in Croom, she could not bear the thought that some of the children could not go home for holidays. So she would often invite a child to her home and make him, for a time at least, part of a stable and loving family. Some of Arlene’s greatest accomplishments came from using her highly efficient secretarial and administrative skills, and she used them quite often for her church. She was the Recording Secretary at Cheltenham United Methodist Church for over 20 years. She helped in the building of the church parsonage by taking care of much of the administration. Because she was interested in history and in people, she was the Church Historian. She was active in the United Methodist Women and taught Sunday School. She picked up trash and planted flowers. She loved the little church where she came to know her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Arlene was a preservationist at heart, and when she learned that a proposed Rubble Land Fill in the neighborhood would negatively impact the community, she joined the Mattaponi Basin Citizen’s Association to fight against it. Arlene was officially the Secretary of the organization, but she was much more than that. She did research, marketing, fund-raising, and more. The effort took over five years, but ultimately the Rubble Land Fill was defeated, and Arlene was an instrumental part of that defeat. In between all of the extra activities, Arlene worked full-time, gardened, canned produce and spoiled her family, especially her two granddaughters. She was an excellent cook and if you happened to visit at mealtime, you would be served. She never made a single recipe of anything; it was at least doubled, most times quadrupled. Arlene and Thurman enjoyed sharing food, flowers, or produce wherever they went. She kept in touch with all her family: brothers and sisters of course, but also cousins, nieces, nephews and their children as well. Arlene was a faithful visitor of friends and family and was truly the thread that kept so many of us connected. Daughter of the late John Truman Rawlings and the late Erna Schwien Rawlings. Predeceased by her parents; two sisters, Anna Belle Ennis and Betty Lou Sherrard. Survived by her husband of 55 years, Thurman Orville Nave; sons, Lyndon C. Nave (Christine) of Cheltenham, MD; Kevin Reed Nave (Donna) of Myrtle Beach, NC; Keith Rawlings Nave of Annapolis, MD; brothers, Robert Rawlings (Anne) of Cheltenham, MD; Kent Rawlings (Doris) of La Plata, MD; sister, Doris Reed of Cheltenham, MD. Also survived by two grandchildren, Karli Nave and Elayna Nave. Visitation will be Monday, August 8, 2011, from 5PM until 8PM at Cheltenham United Methodist Church, Cheltenham, MD. Funeral Service will be Tuesday, August 9, 2011, at 11AM at Cheltenham United Methodist Church, Cheltenham, MD. Rev. Mike Beiber will officiate. Interment will be at Cheltenham United Methodist Church Cemetery, Cheltenham, MD. Pallbearers will be David Rawlings, Wade Rawlings, Phil Rawlings, Dale Rawlings, Kenny Rawlings, Tommy Reed, Johnny Reed and Brian Nave. Honorary Pallbearers will be Edwin Ennis, Steven Sherrard, Larry Rawlings, William Cambell and John Estep. Memorial contributions may be made to Cheltenham United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 146, Cheltenham, MD 20623.

Erna Nave

January 22, 1932 - August 4, 2011