As the City Council voted to name two parks in Del Ray after influential citizens from the neighborhood, members of City Council and the community took a moment to reflect on the lives of Judy Lowe and Nancy Dunning.
At the May 16 City Council Public Hearing, the council voted to name the 1 & 7 E. Del Ray Pocket Park the Judy Lowe Neighborhood Park and the park parcel at 2802 Mt. Vernon Avenue the Nancy Dunning Garden.
“Judy Lowe was an extraordinary person who had a way of forming a network of neighbors, she knew everybody’s life,” said Councilwoman Del Pepper. “She has been dubbed the ‘First Lady of Del Ray’... and really provided a lot of the neighborhood feel.”
Lowe, who died Nov. 28, 2011, was remembered for both the small mannerisms, like correcting the grammar and habits of City Council members, and some of her larger initiatives, like fighting against having the new Washington Redskins Stadium built in Potomac Yard.
If Lowe was the “First Lady of Del Ray,” friends remembered Nancy Dunning as the Queen. Like Lowe, Dunning was remembered as one of the Del Ray citizens who created a vibrant and engaged atmosphere in the neighborhood. Dunning’s murder in 2003 is currently the subject of a trial scheduled for October 2015.
“We want to remember her, not only in our hearts, but to share her with the rest of Del Day,” said Catherine Brown. “Nancy was a mother and a friend to all of us.”