Mary Elizabeth Quispe

Mary Elizabeth Quispe (nee Poulsen) beloved wife of Nicolas Quispe Tarqui died peacefully at her home in Arlington Virginia on January 5, 2022 with her husband by her side. Born June 12, 1922 in Round Hill Virginia to the late Martin Luther and Lena Davis Poulsen, Mary Elizabeth was a woman of faith, and a devoted Round Hillian, who will be missed by all who knew and loved her. Although she left home before WWII, she continued to visit Round Hill every week for most of her life. Her memories and love of her hometown never faded.

Mary Elizabeth grew up and attended school in Round Hill Virginia, graduating from high school in 1939. She was also a graduated of Strayer Business College, Washington DC, 1940. She worked in the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice, Washington DC for 33 years until she retired in July 1974.

Mary Elizabeth was an accomplished pipe organist, having studied under Dr. R. Deane Shure of Mt. Vernon Place United Methodist Church in Washington DC and Isadore Torofsky at Epiphany Episcopal Church of Washington. She also studied piano from 1932-1944 under Miss Elizabeth Chamblin of Hamilton, Virginia. She was the organist at Bethany United Methodist Church in Purcellville, Virginia from 1939-1946.

She was a member of the Administrative Board of Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church, Washington DC., where she also served as an elementary teacher from 1967- 1984 and an All-States Bible and Fellowship Class teacher. She served on many church committees and commissions and was the first woman to hold the position of Church School Superintendent. She was a member of the Sanctuary Choir for 38 years.

She married late Howard Stanley James of Purcellville, Virginia in 1946 and they lived in Arlington, Virginia. He preceded her in death, November 20, 1967.

She was a Past Matron of Grace D. Perlee Chapter # 120, Order of the Eastern Star, Arlington, Virginia, 1975-1976. She was a volunteer in the membership office of Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church and in the Emergency Room of Virginia Hospital Center, Arlington from 1976 until 2010.

She married Leroy Jones Myers of Cheverly, Maryland on May 12, 1979 and they made their home in Arlington, Virginia, he preceded her in death October 6, 1994.

Mary Elizabeth and Nicolas Quispe Tarqui met through church and married on December 18, 2012. They lived in Arlington, Virginia. She lived a long and full life in service to others. She was an extraordinary lady who lived an extraordinary life.

Funeral services will be held in the sanctuary of Mount Vernon Place Church on January 22, 2022 with interment in Hamilton Cemetery, Virginia.

Contributions may be made to Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church and to the Leroy Jones Myers Memorial Scholarship Fund of MVPUMC.

The parking garage attached to the church will be open for the service, and tickets will be validated. You may find parking instructions here: https://mvpumc.org/new-1.

The funeral will be livestreamed at https://mvpumc.org/live-stream.