John Albert Bornmann

West Point, 1967

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by JERRY BRIGHT on December 17, 2015:

BORNMANN JOHN ALBERT BORNMANN, JR. "Al" Lt. Col., U.S. Army (Ret.) Passed away peacefully at his home in the Mount Vernon area of Fairfax County, Virginia, on February 17, 2015. The son of John Albert Bornmann, Sr. and Lucille Bolger Briggs Bornmann, Al was born on November 12, 1945. He grew up in New Smyrna Beach, Florida and completed high school there in 1963. In 1967 he was graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers. He later received an MSEE Degree (Electrical Engineering) from the Georgia Institute of Technology, an MBA from Southern Illinois University, and qualified as a Professional Engineer in Virginia and Florida. His first assignment was with the 43rd Engineer Brigade (Construction) at Fort Benning, Georgia. He then served in Vietnam with the 39th Engineer Battalion from July 1968 through June 1969. Other major permanent duty assignments included: Instructor, Professional Engineer Courses, at the US Army Engineer School (Fort Belvoir, VA); Research and Development Coordinator, US Army Mobility Equipment Research and Development Command (Fort Belvoir, VA); Operations Officer, 563rd Engineer Battalion (Stuttgart, Germany); Operations Officer, 7th Engineer Brigade (Stuttgart, Germany); Student, Air Command and Staff College (Montgomery, Alabama); Executive Officer, Plans and Programs Division, Office of the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans for Command, Control, Communications and Computers (Washington, DC). His final assignment was in support of the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Interagency managing critical communications programs. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Bronze Star Medal with V Device, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal (with one oak leaf cluster), the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, several unit citations, and the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Bronze Star. After his retirement from active duty, Al worked for SRA International, Inc. for nearly 23 years, on projects which often supported sensitive missions with which he had prior experience as an Army officer. In 2000, he served as President of the Fort Belvoir Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA). In 2010, he received SRA's Chairman's Award for Honesty and Service. Al was an enthusiastic and life-long Boy Scout. In high school he earned the rank of Eagle Scout and the God and Country Award, worked as a Boy Scout camp counselor and was a member of the Order of the Arrow. As an adult he served as a leader for Cub Scout Packs, Webelos Dens, and Boy Scout Troops, as a District Commissioner, and received the Silver Beaver award. Later he served as District Chairman, on Woodbadge Staffs, as the institutional representative for Cub Scout and Boy Scout Troops 1509, and as a member of the scuba staff at three National Boy Scout Jamborees. Al served his community in many capacities: as President of the Stratford on the Potomac, Section Four Neighborhood Association; as a Co-Chair of the Mount Vernon Community Citizens Association; as Senior Warden of St. Aidan's Episcopal Church; and on the Steering Committee of the Mount Vernon Neighborhood Friends. Al was a life member of the America Numismatic Association, the National Eagle Scout Association, and Mensa. He particularly enjoyed singing with and felt privileged to be a part of the West Point Alumni Glee Club. He maintained many friendships from his childhood, college and professional years and took particular pleasure in travel, puzzles, music, reading, ice cream and chocolate. He will be remembered for his integrity, his kindness and his good disposition. His sense of humor and hearty laugh will be greatly missed by his family and friends. He was predeceased by his parents, by his infant brother, Robert Eugene Bornmann, by his brother-in-law, John Cleveland Allen, Jr., and by his niece, Kimberly Gautier Kitchen. Survivors include his wife of 47 years, Priscilla Gautier Bornmann, his daughter, Kirsten Bornmann Fontenrose; his son, John Albert Bornmann ("Trey"), III; two grandsons, Joiah Avayo Tyler Baril ("Joey") and John Albert Bornmann, IV ("Beau"); his sister, Deborah Bornmann Allen; his brothers, Chris Edward Bornmann and Mark Howard Bornmann; his sister-in-law, Patricia Gautier Kitchen (Edward Charles "Deeno" Kitchen); his nephews, John Cleveland Allen, III, Randolph Charles Bornmann, William Gautier Kitchen, and Deeb Paul Kitchen, II (Shannon Alicia Hill Kitchen); and his nieces, Jessica Bornmann Melakian, Christina Lea Bornmann, and Anne-Elizabeth Kitchen Williams (James Albert Williams, II). The extended Bornmann family will always be grateful to Al's friends and neighbors, St. Aidan's Episcopal Church, Thrive at Home and Capital Caring for their many kindnesses, tender care and prayers during the period of his illness and welcomes all to a service celebrating his life to be held at Saint Aidan's Episcopal Church, 8531 Riverside Road, Alexandria, VA 22308 on Saturday, February 28, 2015 at 4 p.m., when attendees will be invited to say a few words if they wish. A reception at the church will follow. A graveside service with Full Military Honors will be held on a later date at Arlington National Cemetery. The family suggests that in lieu of flowers, donations in honor of Al's life and memory be made to CAUSE (Comfort for America's Uniformed Services), 4114 Legato Road, Fairfax, VA 22033; the National Capital Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, Marriot Scout Service Center, 9190 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814-3897; St. Aidan's Episcopal Church, 8531 Riverside Road, Alexandria, VA 22308; or the West Point Alumni Glee Club, 4455 Brookfield Corporate Drive, Suite 107, Chantilly, VA 20151. Published in The Washington Post on Feb. 22, 2015 Powered By Legacy.com Search Obituaries

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