James ‘Rick’ Dalby

James Frederick “Rick” Dalby, Jr. age 62, most recently of Falls Church, VA, died in the hospital of complications from a blood infection on Tuesday, September 8, 2020 in Fairfax, Va.

• Vigil (Wake): 6-8p, September 21, 2020, The Lee-van Schaick home (16771 Thunder Rd Haymarket VA 20169). Food and drink will be served.
• Funeral Mass: 1:30p, September 22, 2020, Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 8213 Linton Hall Rd Gainesville VA 20155
• Officiating: Rev. Thomas Yehl, Y.A.
• Reception: following Mass, Nokesville Park, 12560 Aden Rd. Nokesville, VA 20181
• Interment Private
• Donations: The Lamb Center, 3160 Campbell Dr, Fairfax, VA 22031
• Survivors: Children Pallas Lee-vanSchaick and wife Candice (Haymarket), K. Logan Horne and husband Eric (Falls Church), Elizabeth (Bess)
• Dalby and companion Carlos Rodriguez (Leesburg), Morgan Dalby (Bluemont); grandchildren John, Ava, Samuel, Noah, Helena, James, John Max, Isabelle, Charlotte, Bruce, Sally, Thomas, Theodore, Gabriel, Daniel, Lavrans; father James F. Dalby, Sr.; brothers E. Fleet Dalby and wife Lisa (Winchester), Joseph Dalby and wife Dianne (Falls Church); nephew John Dalby; former wife Kate vanSchaick Taylor (Oakton)
• Predeceased: Mother Nancy Lee Everett (September 18, 2002); Uncle Bob Everett (September 8, 2019); Cousin Robert Everett (January 27, 2020)
• Ames Funeral Home inc. in Manassas is coordinating arrangements  703-368-2814.

Rick was born in Newport News, Virginia to James F. and Nancy (Everett) Dalby. He was a 1976 graduate of Newburgh Free Academy in Newburgh, NY. Rick was theatrical and enjoyed acting. His children recall boisterous singalongs to Jesus Christ Superstar in their youth and his brother remembers his “spirited” performance as Herod in the high school’s rendition of the musical. Rick had a beautiful singing voice and loved music– Often being moved to tears by the sound of a lovely performance at church, or gathering his family together to listen to something that they just had to know about!

In 1981, he graduated from the State University of New York at Albany, Summa Cum Laude; as a member of Phi Beta Kappa with a B.S. in Philosophy and Chemistry.

In a whirlwind of romance that was legendary in family history, he married Kate vanSchaick October 31, 1981. Rick and Kate saw life as an adventure, and with entrepreneurial spirit, founded their first company “Amanuensis” in 1983, a dictation company named from a word they picked up on a word-a-day calendar. Unfortunately the company didn’t make it past its first anniversary. People just didn’t understand that it wasn’t a cult.

Learning from their mistake, they went on to simplify the hook and founded Dalby Tutoring, Inc of McLean, VA, which they ran until June 2014. Known for his great wit, intellect, and ability to teach, Rick attracted thousands of students over the years, helping them not only understand difficult academic subjects, but also how to deal better with the pains of adolescence. By 2002 Dalby had been ranked the best tutoring service in the metro DC area according to Washingtonian Magazine.

Rick and Kate had their daughter Logan in 1984, Bess in 1985 and Morgan in 1989. They raised their girls together with Pallas, Kate’s son from a previous marriage. Rick always considered Pallas as his own son. The family moved to Catharpin in 1993 and began their farming adventure. Rick loved Catharpin: talking to his geese, setting off fireworks, and burning things up. He was a life-long learner, and an inveterate scientist always trying out new hobbies and experiments, from car mechanics to improv comedy to computer programming. One particular scheme saw him floating in a six foot tall tank of frigid water as an experimental weight loss program! He was known as our absent minded professor, never going anywhere without a book or two (or three) to keep him company.

Sadly, Rick and Kate parted ways in 2014, and for Rick the years following were ones of frequent illness. Through his suffering he would remember his grandchildren in whom he delighted, and who were perhaps even more delighted by him. He always had a fun toy or prank ready for them. He understood children intuitively and they gravitated toward his fun and caring personality. The week before he died he was advising his grandson Max on what battery to install into a go-kart.

Rick always thought the best of others, he was kind and magnanimous and hilariously fun and witty. He is greatly loved and missed.