Obituary for Jack Darling

We are mourning the loss of our dear John "Jack" Sandford Darling. Jack was born on August 17, 1911, in McLean, Virginia to John H. and Alice Newnham Darling. At the age of five the family moved to the Naval Proving Grounds at Dahlgren.

Jack graduated Christ Church School in Saluda, VA, an experience he savored for the remainder of his life. He received a B.S. Degree in Fine Arts from Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Arts. Jack spent summers in Provincetown, painting with life long friends William Franklin Draper, (American portraitist) and Alan Ingalls Palmer, (nationally recognized artist). Of the most influential teachers Jack studied under were Charles W. Hawthorne, who was a student of Robert Henri, Henry Hensche, and Thornton Oakley a student of N. C. Wyeth who studied under Howard Pyle. Jack took classes at the Corcoran in Washington DC. and at JMU classes held at his beloved Shrinemont under Jerry Coulter.

Jack returned to King George County/Dahlgren, starting his Civil Service appointment in 1941, testing the great Naval guns instrumental in winning the Pacific battles of World War II. There Jack pursued painting, worked with computers in Terminal Ballistics and as a technical artist for the Navy’s surface War facility K Lab.

During this time he married Mary Berry, and lived at North Windsor.   After the death of his beloved wife, Jack opened his home to The North Windsor Artists (aka “The Thundering Herd”) who continued meeting there until his death, with Jack as their "guru."

Jack is survived by nieces and nephews, Alice Darling “Stoner” Ross, David William Stoner, Robert Fredrick Stoner, John Thomas Stoner, Mildred “Mimi” Virginia Stoner, Doris Darling Fandre, Anne Darling, Carl Darling, William Henry “Billy” Washington Jr., Robert Nelson “Bobby” Washington, Mary Grymes Shinault, Ann Mason Neill, Virginia Washington Chapin, Will Evans Chapin, Lucius Thacker Chapin and many other great and great-great nieces and nephews.

Jack’s creed was “always remain teachable.” Jack’s artistic talents, superb control of colors, his ability to tell wonderful stories, verbally and on canvas, will live on in his volumous body of work. He will be remembered for his love of life, art, family and friends, his generosity, tongue in cheek humor and charmingly contagious smile.

Good-bye old shoe…you will be truly missed.

Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church with a reception to follow in the parish hall. In lieu of flowers tributes may be offered to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 5486 St. Paul’s Rd, King George, VA 22485.