Obituary

Longtime D.C. activist Barrett Brick dies

Former GLAA president remembered for array of interests

Published

12 years ago

September 23, 2013

Lou Chibbaro Jr.

Barrett Brick (Washington Blade file photo by Henry Linser)

Barrett Brick, 59, a D.C. attorney who is credited with playing a lead role in advocating for LGBT equality on a local, national and international level for more than 30 years, died Sunday, Sept. 22, at a hospice care facility in Bethesda, Md. His death followed a 10-year battle with cancer.

Brick spent most of his professional career as an attorney in Washington working for the Federal Communications Commission.

But friends and colleagues said Brick devoted much of his free time beginning with his student days at Columbia University in New York as a key player and leader of a wide range of LGBT organizations.

He served as president of the D.C. Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance from 2006 through 2009 after having served as the group’s treasurer, according to current GLAA President Rick Rosendall. He served on the board of the then Capital Area Log Cabin Republicans from 1995 to 1998.

Brick served as president of D.C.’s Congregation Bet Mispachah, which reaches out to the LGBT Jewish community, from 1984 to 1985 after serving on the congregation’s board from 1980 to 1984, a GLAA biography of Brick says.

The GLAA biography says Brick served as executive director of the World Congress of Gay and Lesbian Jewish Organizations from 1987 to 1993.

He served in the 1990s as co-chair of the Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity of the American Bar Association.

“In a town swarming with partisan hackery, Barrett consistently stood up for principle and put the greater good before self-interest,” said Rosendall. “His wide-ranging interests brought him multiple circles of friends,” he said, adding that Brick’s role as a longtime GLAA collaborator and adviser was “beyond price.”

Brick received a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in 1976 and a law degree from Columbia University Law School 1979. During his undergraduate studies he served as treasurer and vice president of Gay People of Columbia and founded the Columbia Gay and Lesbian Law Students Association in 1979.

D.C.’s Rainbow History Project, which inducted Brick as a Community Pioneer credited with helping to strengthen Washington, D.C.’s LGBT community, said Brick was a leader in pushing for immigration rights for LGBT people beginning in the 1990s. In 2012, the national LGBT rights organization Immigration Equality selected Brick as a recipient of its Global Vision Award in recognition of his advocacy for LGBT immigrants and their families.

The Rainbow History Project also credits Brick with working with fellow GLAA member Craig Howell’s campaign in the early 1980s to persuade founders of the soon-to-be-opened U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington to include homosexual victims of the Nazi death camps as part of its exhibits and stories of the Holocaust.

“With Howell, he met members of the Jewish Community Council in February 1983 to make the case for inclusion,” the Rainbow History Project states in its biography of Brick. A short time later, with the full support of Jewish leaders and holocaust expert Elie Wiesel, the Council agreed to include gay Holocaust victims as part of the museum’s commemoration of all victims of Nazi persecution, the biography says.

Brick spoke about the significance of including gay Holocaust victims as part of the museum during an event held one day after the Holocaust Memorial Museum was formally dedicated in April 1993. The dedication took place during the same week LGBT people from across the country came to Washington for a national march for LGBT equality.

“For the living and for the dead, for ourselves and for future generations, we and this museum bear witness to the truth of our heritage and our history – of community and survival, of terror and death, of love and resistance,” Brick said. “We preserve our stories, and we tell them.”

Howell, who worked closely with Brick on LGBT rights projects through GLAA, said he was “always witty, passionate and dedicated to our community’s welfare.” Added Howell, “Barrett made himself a truly indispensable man for so many years in so many ways.”

Barrett Brick (left) at a 1988 protest in the City Council chamber. (Washington Blade archive photo by Doug Hinckle)

In addition to his numerous LGBT political activities Brick was an avid soccer fan and reader of science fiction literature. His friends say that similar to his political involvements, Brick pushed for LGBT visibility in these two areas. He was an active member of the Screaming Eagles, an organization of soccer fans in the D.C. area that roots for the D.C. United professional soccer team.

He also served on the planning committee for Gaylaxicon 2008, the annual international science fiction, fantasy and horror convention for LGBT fans.

Antonio Ruffini, Brick’s husband, said the two met in September 1999 at a science fiction conference in Melbourne, Australia. As a native and resident of South Africa, Ruffini said he and Brick soon began a bi-continental relationship, with each traveling to one another’s country as often as possible.

Among Brick’s wide range of interests was astronomy and “eclipse chasing,” Ruffini said. Brick’s practice of traveling the world to witness an eclipse and on many occasions taking Ruffini with him gave the two a unique opportunity to spend time together in such places as Egypt, Mongolia and Pacific Islands.

“He saw 14 eclipses in different parts of the world and had been among the top 10 eclipse watchers,” said Ruffini, who points out that Brick was proud of the accomplishment of spending a total of 44 minutes and 57 seconds under the darkness of an eclipse.

“Barrett was very multi-dimensional,” Ruffini said. “The energy he had to get involved in all of these interests was quite something.”

In January 2009 the couple married in Johannesburg in a legally recognized ceremony under South Africa’s constitution, which includes a provision guaranteeing equal rights for gay people.

“Our plan was for him to move to South Africa,” said Ruffini, who noted that Brick had hoped to make the move in 2010 when he retired from the FCC after just over 30 years of government service.

But Brick’s bout with cancer, which had been mostly in remission since diagnosis and early treatment in 2003, resurfaced around the time of his retirement, requiring that he undergo aggressive medical treatment in Washington, Ruffini said.

He said Brick was scheduled to be buried Tuesday in his family’s cemetery plot at Beth Israel Memorial Park in Woodbridge, N.J.

Bet Mishpachah will hold a memorial service on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 5 p.m. in the party room of the Van Ness East condominium building at 2939 Van Ness St., N.W. Van Ness East is two blocks east of Connecticut Avenue and within walking distance of the Van Ness/UDC stop on the Red Line. There is limited valet parking available on site; street parking is available on Van Ness Street. All visitors must enter at the front desk, which will provide directions on accessing the party room.

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Obituary

Longtime DC resident Thomas Walsh dies at 87

Pa. native’s husband was by his side when he passed away

Published

1 day ago

July 3, 2025

Staff reports

Thomas Walsh (Photo courtesy of Anthony Carcaldi)

Long-time D.C. resident Thomas Walsh died on May 16. He was 87.

Walsh was born on Sept. 17, 1937, in Scranton, Pa. His family later moved to Levittown, Pa.

Walsh met his husband, Anthony Carcaldi, at the Blue Note, a gay bar in Asbury Park, N.J., in 1964.

“I walked in the bar with friends from New York City,” recalled Carcaldi. “I looked at the piano and this person was singing … and all I noticed were his blue eyes.”

Walsh was singing “Because of You.”

“I walked up to the piano while Tom was singing and stared at him, which caused him to forget the words,” said Carcaldi. “He composed himself and started from the beginning.”

Carcaldi and Walsh became a couple in 1965, a year after they met, when they moved to Philadelphia.

“We moved in together and have been together ever since,” said Carcaldi.

Walsh was a freelance graphic designer until he accepted a job in Temple University’s audiovisual department. Walsh and Carcaldi moved to D.C. in 1980.

Walsh began a graphic design business and counted Booz Allen as among his clients. Carcaldi said one of his husband’s “main loves was painting,” and became a fine artist in 2005.

Walsh showed his art at the Nevin Kelly Gallery on U Street, the Martha Spak Studio near the Wharf, and at the Wexler Gallery in Philadelphia. Walsh also sang with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington.

Walsh and Carcaldi married at D.C. City Hall in 2014.

“Tom and I have been together since 1964 until his death,” said Carcaldi. “Tom died peacefully with me at his side in bed on May 16, 2025, holding Tom in my arms as he made the transition out of life.”

A celebration of life will take place in September.

Obituary

Beloved schoolteacher, D.C. resident Patrick Shaw dies at 60

Colleagues, friends say he ‘touched so many lives’ with warmth, kindness

Published

2 months ago

April 29, 2025

Lou Chibbaro Jr.

Patrick Shaw

Patrick Dewayne Shaw, a highly acclaimed elementary school teacher who taught and served as vice principal in several D.C. schools since moving to the District in 2002, died April 19 at the age of 60.

His friend Dusty Martinez said his passing was unexpected and caused by a heart related ailment.

“Patrick touched so many lives with his warmth, humor, kindness, and unmistakable spark,” Martinez said in a statement. “He was a truly special soul – funny, vibrant, sassy, and full of life, and we are heartbroken by his loss,” Martinez wrote.

Among those reflecting on Shaw’s skills as an educator were his colleagues at D.C.’s Mundo Verde Bilingual Public Charter School, where he served as a second-grade special education teacher since August 2023.

“Patrick brought warmth, joy, and deep commitment to Mundo Verde,” his colleagues said in an Instagram posting. “His daily Broadway sing-alongs, vibrant outfits, and genuine love for his students filled our community with energy and laughter,” the posting says.

Biographical information provided by Martinez and Karen Rivera Geating, a senior inclusion manager at the Mundo Verde school and Shaw’s supervisor, shows Shaw had a distinguished 38-year teaching career and multiple degrees in the field of education.

He was born and raised in Little Rock, Ark., and graduated from Little Rock’s Catholic High School for Boys.

He received two bachelor’s degrees, one in philosophy from St. Meinrad Seminary College in Indiana and one in elementary education from the University of Minnesota in St. Paul.

The biographical information shows Shaw received three master’s degrees. One is in secondary education and history from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. His second master’s degree is in special education from The Catholic University of Washington, D.C. His third master’s degree is in school administration from Trinity College in D.C.

Shaw began his teaching career in 1987 in Little Rock, Ark., as a fourth grade General Education Teacher at Our Lady of Good Counsel School and a short time later at Little Rock’s St. Theresa Catholic School as a fourth-eighth grade teacher through December 1989.

He next moved to Minnesota where he spent part of the 1990s as a fifth and sixth grade teacher and a physical education instructor, according to biographical information. His resume shows that from January 1995 to December 1998 he was associated with the Minnesota AIDS Project in Minneapolis.

He “recruited, interviewed and staffed volunteer education and transportation programs for people living with HIV and AIDS,” his resume states.

Shaw next returned to Little Rock where he served from January 1998 to December 2004 as Theology Department Chair at the Mt. St. Mary Academy. His work included creating theology lessons for ninth-12^th graders and creating a social justice program for 12^th graders.

Upon moving to D.C., Shaw served as classroom teacher and vice principal at several schools, including the D.C. Public School’s Benning Elementary School; vice principal at Chavez Prep Public Charter School; vice principal at Bridges Public Charter School; Special Education Coordinator at Monument Academy Public Charter School; and Special Education Case Management and Math Intervention Specialist at D.C.’s College Preparatory Academy for Boys.

“Patrick dedicated 38 wonderful years to teaching, from 1987 to 2025, inspiring generations of students with his passion, wit, and kindness,” Martinez said in his statement.

Shaw was predeceased by his mother, Myrna G. Shaw, and is survived by his father, Thomas H. Shaw, his brother, James Shaw (Michele), his sister, Angela Mahairi (Wafai), and his cherished niece and nephews Austin, Tariq, Reed, Ramy, and Jasmine, according to information provided by Martinez.

Martinez said a funeral mass would soon be held in Little Rock, Shaw’s hometown.

“His family will be honoring one of his last wishes,” Martinez wrote, “to be returned home and remembered in a unique and meaningful way” – by having a tree planted in his honor, “a living tribute to the full and beautiful life he lived.”

Details of the location of the planted tree will be shared soon to offer a place where “friends and family can visit, reflect, and stay connected with his spirit,” Martinez states.

In D.C. a celebration of life for Shaw is scheduled to be held Saturday, May 3, from 2-5 p.m. at JR.’s bar at 1519 17^th Street, N.W. Martinez points out that the tribute will be held during JR.’s weekly Saturday “Showtunes” event, in which sing-along performances of famous Broadway musicals are shown on video screens.

“JR.’s Saturday Showtunes were one of Patrick’s absolute favorite traditions, and gathering in that spirit feels like the perfect way to honor him,” Martinez said.

“Many have asked how they can help,” Martinez concludes in his statement. “In response we’ve created a GoFundMe page to support funeral expenses, help find a loving home for Patrick’s beloved dog, Birdie, and assist with other needs during this difficult time.”

Any remaining funds, according to Martinez, will be donated to a charity “that reflects Patrick’s passions and values.”

The GoFundMe page can be accessed at: gofundme.com/f/honoring-patrick-shaws-vibrant-legacy.

Obituary

Local attorney, LGBTQ rights advocate Dale Sanders dies at 75

Acclaimed lawyer credited with advancing legal rights for people with HIV/AIDS

Published

3 months ago

April 18, 2025

Lou Chibbaro Jr.

Dale Edwin Sanders (Photo courtesy of the family)

Dale Edwin Sanders, an attorney who practiced law in D.C. and Northern Virginia for more than 40 years and is credited with playing a key role in providing legal services for people living with HIV/AIDS beginning in the early 1980s, died April 10 at the age of 75.

His brother, Wade Sanders, said the cause of death was a heart attack that occurred at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore shortly after he had back surgery.

Wade Sanders described his brother as a “trial lawyer, passionate criminal defense, and civil litigator for human rights” for close to 50 years, with some of his work focused on “civil law, notably gay-related insurance discrimination during the AIDS epidemic.”

He called his brother “a zealous advocate for the oppressed, his clients, and his personal convictions.”

Born in Arlington, Va., and raised in McLean, Va., Dale Sanders graduated from Langley High School in McLean and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia, his brother said. He received his law degree from D.C.’s American University Washington College of Law and began his law practice in 1976 in Old Town, Alexandria, Wade Sanders said.

Amy Nelson, director of Legal Services for D.C. ‘s Whitman-Walker Health, said Sanders became one of Whitman-Walker’s original volunteer pro-bono attorneys in the 1980s.

“Dale was a beloved part of the legal services program and our medical-legal partnership for nearly 40 years,” Nelson said. “Dale was one of the clinic’s first volunteer attorneys at Whitman-Walker’s weekly, legal walk-in clinic offering free counseling to clients about their legal rights in the face of HIV/AIDS and LGBT discrimination from employers, landlords, medical providers, and insurance companies,” according to Nelson.

Nelson added, “Dale represented dozens of people impacted by the ignorance and prejudice attendant to an HIV/AIDS diagnosis, and his litigation wins were instrumental in advancing the legal rights of persons living with HIV/AIDS.”

Sanders’s most recent case on behalf of Whitman-Walker took place in 2023 in support of a transgender woman in Virginia who faced discrimination from her employer and health insurer, Nelson said.

In 1989, Whitman-Walker presented Sanders with its Gene Frey Award for Volunteer Service, and in 1994 presented him with its Founders Award for Pro Bono Legal Services, Nelson told the Blade. She said in 2024, Whitman-Walker re-named its annual Going the Extra Mile Pro Bono Award as the Dale Sanders Award for Pro Bono Excellence.

“Dale’s legacy helped to shape HIV/AIDS law, and his fierce commitment to justice will live on at Whitman-Walker Health,” Nelson said in a statement. “We will miss him dearly.”

Daniel Bruner, who served as Whitman-Walker’s legal services director prior to Amy Nelson taking that position, said Sanders played a role in shaping his own legal skills and knowledge.

“Dale was one of my earliest legal models among local, and national, advocates for people living with HIV and LGBT people,” Bruner told the Blade. “He was a fierce, persistent advocate for his clients and for the community,” Bruner said, adding, “He won key victories in several cases where employees’ or health care patients’ privacy had been egregiously violated. I certainly will never forget him.”

Wade Sanders said his brother was also an avid bridge player, saying he played competitively. “He earned the rank of Ruby Life Master, a pretty big deal in the bridge world,” Wade Sanders said.

Dale Sanders is survived by his husband, Christian Samonte; his sister, Joyce Sanders of York, S.C.; his brother Wade Sanders of West Jefferson, N.C.; and his beloved dogs Langley and Abigail, his brother said in a statement.

A memorial service for Dale Sanders organized by the Sanders family and the LGBTQ Catholic group Dignity Washington will be held Saturday, May 10, at 1 p.m. at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church at 1830 Connecticut Ave., N.W. in D.C., a Dignity Washington spokesperson said.