Local
TJ Gaghan dies at 56
Self-taught computer programmer worked at Department of Defense
TJ Gagan died Jan. 31 from cancer.
Terrence “TJ” Gaghan, a retired Department of Defense computer analyst and musician, died Jan. 31 from cancer, his family said.
Gaghan is survived by his brothers Michael Patrick of Leland, N.C.; James Francis (Judy) of Mooresville, N.C.; Timothy Shawn (Mary), Falls Church, Va.; and Kevin Paul (Linda) of McLean, Va.; sisters Michele “Susie” Elizabeth (Monti) Schmitt and Valerie Ann Gaghan of Scotland, Md.; and 17 nieces and nephews and 12 grand-nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his mother Alma Llorente Gaghan and father James Francis Gaghan, Jr.
Gaghan was born on Aug. 30, 1962 and was gay. He was a self-taught computer programmer for the Department of Defense at the Pentagon and transferred to Fort Belvoir shortly after 9-11. He retired from the department in 2003 and continued working as a consultant until 2015.
Gaghan’s real passion was music, his family said. He was a talented musician and songwriter and never gave up his dream of being published. His music was a way for him to communicate his feelings and is a reflection of his life. He loved to travel, parasail, biking, hiking, swimming and had an adventurous spirit.
A funeral service is scheduled at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 19 at Good Shepherd Catholic Church, 8710 Mt. Vernon Highway in Alexandria, Va. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to be sent to St. Jude Hospital. Interment will be private.
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Congratulations to Yadiel Meléndez, on their new role as Community Associate, with the Wanda Alston Foundation. Meléndez is piloting a new role as a Community Associate at the Wanda Alston Foundation, where they support queer and trans young people in finding their footing, building independence, and experiencing a housing community where they are seen, valued, and affirmed. They are coming into this role with more than a decade of experience as a community organizer and operations specialist, supporting diverse communities through service, advocacy, and program coordination.
Previously they worked for Right Proper Brewing Shaw as a server and bartender and at Sephora, Washington, DC, and at FreshFarm, DC, in bilingual food access. They also worked freelance to build foundational structures for local queer BIPOC performance art coalitions, producing variety shows to curate space for marginalized performance artists in the community. They were a production manager for Haus of Hart Productions, a BIPOC centric performance art production. They also worked as field staff with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in Stafford, Va.
Meléndez is bilingual, Spanish and English. Their work is guided by a commitment to dignity, safety, and trauma-informed engagement, particularly within LGBTQ and BIPOC communities.
Congratulations also to Ben Rosen LICSW, on his new role as program director, with the Wanda Alston Foundation. Rosen previously worked with Fountain House’s OnRamps program, helping to build a new, innovative outreach program for individuals considered chronically homeless, and living with serious mental illness, in the Times Square area of New York. Rosen is a Psychotherapist, having worked with SG Psychotherapy, and as the psychotherapist with the Nest Community Health Center (URAM).
Rosen has a B.F.A. in Theatre Arts: Musical Theatre, Minor in Psychology (Cum Laude) from Malloy University Conservatory; and his M.S.W. in Clinical Practice with Individuals, Families, and Groups, from The Silberman School of Social Work, Hunter College, N.Y. He is independently licensed in New York and Washington, D.C.
Rehoboth Beach
BLUF leather social set for April 10 in Rehoboth
Attendees encouraged to wear appropriate gear
Diego’s in Rehoboth Beach hosts a monthly leather happy hour. April’s edition is scheduled for Friday, April 10, 5-7 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to wear appropriate gear. The event is billed as an official event of BLUF, the free community group for men interested in leather. After happy hour, the attendees are encouraged to reconvene at Local Bootlegging Company for dinner, which allows cigar smoking. There’s no cover charge for either event.
District of Columbia
Celebrations of life planned for Sean Bartel
Two memorial events scheduled in D.C.
Two celebrations of life are planned for Sean Christopher Bartel, 48, who was found deceased on a hiking trail in Argentina on or around March 15. Bartel began his career as a television news reporter and news anchor at stations in Louisville, Ky., and Evansville, Ind., before serving as Senior Video Producer for the D.C.-based International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union from 2013 to 2024.
A memorial gathering is planned for Friday, April 10, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the IBEW International Office (900 7th St., N.W.), according to a statement by the DC Gay Flag Football League, where Bartel was a longtime member. A celebration of life is planned that same evening, 6-8 p.m. at Trade (1410 14th St., N.W.).
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