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--></style></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>From: Tracy Soforenko, President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>It is with great sadness that I share the passing of our friend and fellow advocate, Mary Durbin. Mary passed away suddenly on Tuesday.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>For many of us, Mary was a sincere and loyal friend and champion for blind people. She showed her love for people through her generosity, compassion, and willingness to support her family, her Federation & Lions communities, the blind veterans she served, and anyone who experienced the privilege of being in her vicinity.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Mary’s commitment to her husband, Scott, and her children Brian, Theresa, Tim, and Mike was always at the forefront of everything she pursued.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Mary was a leader in our Chesapeake Bay chapter of the National Federation Of The Blind and the Virginia Beach blind Lions club. Mary led the local chapter and was often the champion and leader for many activities that encouraged people to reach beyond their comfort zones and aim for new opportunities. She was a leader in the Lions community at many levels and was committed to making a difference for the members of these organizations. Her impact on the community at large was profound.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Mary touched the lives of hundreds in our Silver Bells program for blind and low vision seniors across the Commonwealth. She was the steady force helping to recruit new participants for the program, the comforting voice helping prospective participants get registered, and the dedicated staff member waiting in the breakfast area to lend an extra hand to anyone who needed it. She had a knack for teaching technology for people who had recently lost their sight. Her presence will be sorely missed in that area of our movement.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Mary organized programs for first time National Federation Of The Blind convention participants to enable them to take full advantage of this experience. She matched first timers with seasoned mentors, but she took a personal interest in ensuring that everyone’s experience was a positive one.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Mary was involved in advocacy efforts at the local state and national level. She was welcoming and warm, very likely why she was instrumental in helping legislators understand our advocacy priorities as personal stories and not just policy measures.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Mary and I often discussed how to engage others in our work together. She was eager to have me ask someone to take on a task but was always willing to assist the individual in completing the task successfully.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Mary was a true friend and she will be deeply missed.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Funeral plans and other details are not known at this time.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>Peace,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Jacki Bruce<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:jackibruce6@gmail.com">mailto:jackibruce6@gmail.com</a> or <a href="mailto:membership@nfbv.org">membership@nfbv.org</a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="tel:(757)291-1789">tel:(757)291-1789</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Find us on Facebook @NationalFederationoftheBlindofVirginia<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Find us on Instragram @nfbofvirginia<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Subscribe to our Youtube: NFB Virginia<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.nfbv.org/">www.nfbv.org</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>