James Benjamin Lehman

James B. Lehman, 51, passed away unexpectedly at his residence on September 3, 2022. He is survived by his parents, Barbara and Richard (Bruce) Lehman; his uncle and aunt, Richard and Linda Metcalf of Rochester, Mass.; his aunt Linda Lehman and cousins Christie Strawser and Stacie Valerius, all of the Tampa, Florida area; and his long time friend and traveling companion, Suticha Mungkornkarn of Reston, VA.

Family was important to James, and he made an effort to visit ancestral homelands in Sweden and Nova Scotia as well as grave sites in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. This summer he went to a large family reunion in Maine attended by 4 generations of his maternal “cousins.”

As a youth, James attained the rank of Eagle in the Boy Scouts, and he was Falls Church High School’s representative to Boys’ State. At New York University he studied Hotel Management, and while there , he completed two New York City marathons. After graduation from NYU, he returned to the DC area to work in area hotels, City Hotels and with the BF Saul Hotel Division. For the last twenty years, he has served as Corporate Controller for the Hospitality Division of Uniwest Companies.

He was a hard worker, an avid reader, a movie buff, and a loyal Washington Redskins fan. On some of his travels he attended concerts by his favorite rock groups. James’s international travels have taken him to Thailand, Japan, Australia, Peru, New Zealand, Canada, and to numerous countries in western Europe. He had begun a goal to visit all of the U.S. National Parks until the covid pandemic limited travel.

James had been a faithful, long-time volunteer for Food and Friends, delivering meals to gravely ill clients. He would be honored if those who wish to send memorial gifts would consider Food and Friends, 219 Riggs Road NE, Washington DC 20011.

There will be a Memorial Service on Saturday, October 1st at 1 PM at Columbia Baptist Church, 103 West Columbia Street, Falls Church, VA 22046.