Danielle Marcelline Devereux

Danielle was born November 8, 1944, in Antwerp, Belgium, to the late Jacques Louis De Meyer and Paule Marcelline Clément. Within weeks of her birth, she narrowly escaped death when the family’s apartment was bombed towards the end of the Second World War. She excelled in school, eventually receiving degrees in Classics and Psychology from the University of Antwerp. Making use of her knowledge of languages, she taught French for a while in the Antwerp public schools, and later served as a simultaneous interpreter for the European Common Market in German, French, English and Dutch. In addition to these languages, she acquired a fluency in Italian and Polish.

While working in Germany, Danielle met her first husband, John Russell Gates, who was serving as an officer in the U.S. Army. After moving to the United States, she pursued a career in real estate for many years in Charlottesville, and was loved and respected by her colleagues and clients (her ‘champagne lunches’ were famous). In spite of her extraordinary command of languages, she occasionally made charming mistakes in idiomatic English: once, while showing a sprawling old house, she told the prospective buyer that the home was "full of crooks and nannies."

In her retirement, Danielle returned to her love of languages, translating for French-speaking refugees from Africa for the International Rescue Committee. Helping these refugees adjust to a new life gave her great joy and satisfaction. Her love of animals led her to serve on the Board of the CASPCA for a number of years. She became known as the person to call for lost dogs: she would drive around neighborhoods until she found the wanderers. And more than once she took matters into her own hands to nurse a wounded wild animal back to health. She liked to say that she loved animals more than people.

Danielle was loved by all who knew her for her droll, salty wit, and her warm sociability—just walking into a room, she raised the level of cheer and good feeling. After she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, she found relief from symptoms by gardening, and knitting beautiful sweaters and blankets for family and friends.

She is survived by her husband of twenty-eight years, Daniel Devereux; her brother, René De Meyer, his son Bob De Meyer and wife Tanja and their son Thibaud; her children, daughter Marjorie Gates Adam and husband Philippe Adam and their children Alex and Lucas; son Jacques Gates and wife Kate Agrapart Gates and their children Emilie and Chloe; daughter Sabrina Cline Minter and husband Gill Minter and their children Audrey and Colton; step-son Andrew Devereux and wife Christina Schoppert Devereux and their children William, Peter, and Claire; step-son Nicholas Devereux and wife Stephanie Yost and their son Grayson; step-daughter Lizzie Devereux and partner Brian Cherinka. She was preceded in death by her second husband, John Cline. She is also survived by her wonderful Golden Retriever, Louie.

A public viewing will be held on Friday, December 4, 2020, from 12-5pm, and the family will receive friends on Saturday, December 5, 2020, from 11am-2pm, outside in a socially-distanced, Covid-safe environment at Teague Funeral Service in Charlottesville. There will be a celebration of Danielle’s life, replete with champagne toasts, in 2021 once the Covid situation is more under control.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Danielle Devereux Fund at the CASPCA in her honor.