Former AHS principal led an exemplary life
Former Annandale High School Principal Donald Clausen died March 21 from a brain tumor. He was 78.
Clausen served as principal from 1994 to 2004. The school’s Clausen Hall is named for him.
The following information is from his family, by way of Annandale High School’s A-Blast.
Clausen was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he developed a love of family, sports (especially baseball), and an empathic spirit that pervaded the work he did later in life.
A graduate of Valparaiso University, Clausen spent a short time in St. Louis before joining the Peace Corps in 1966. He was sent to Ecuador, where “he met the love of his life, Patricia Wolfe,” his family says. “He was from Iowa and she was from Kentucky, and they had to go to Ecuador to meet.”
After the Peace Corps, Clausen embarked on a career in education, beginning as a PE teacher.
When he was appointed principal of AHS in 1994, the school climate was unstable. Thomas Jefferson High School (TJ) had recently been transformed from a regular high school to a highly competitive magnet school. All of the students who were not qualified to be there were reassigned to AHS.
“Clausen was able to apply his skills from the Peace Corps to work with school and community leaders and create a positive learning environment for the most diverse high school in Fairfax County, and one of the most diverse in the nation,” the family states. Being a fluent Spanish speaker helped Clausen unite the different racial groups and ease tension.
“Mr. Clausen did a great job promoting diversity and making sure all students got what they needed regardless of their background. He also made sure all teachers got what we needed to reach all of our students,” said English teacher Bill Maglisceau in the A-Blast article. He was also an enthusiastic supporter of athletes and came to many football and lacrosse games, “even on a random Tuesday.”
“I first met Mr. Clausen as a new teacher and basketball coach at Justice High School,” current Principal Shawn DeRose wrote in an email to staff. “When I was named principal over two years ago, he went out of his way to reach out and congratulate me. We continued to stay in touch ever since.”
Clausen’s concerns extended outside the border of his community, the family wrote. “He became involved in issues with El Salvador through his activism as an international election observer. Through this activity, he developed relationships that became lifelong friendships.”
After his retirement, he and his wife served three years with the Franciscan Missionary Service in El Salvador working in a rural area with underserved schools.
In 2005, AHS English teacher Alan Weintraut took three students to run a photography camp at Clausen’s school in El Salvador. “Even in retirement, he didn’t stop giving back,” Weintraut said. “He leaves behind an inspiring and impressive legacy – a life of service so well lived.”
Back in the U.S., Clausen stayed actively involved in various organizations that assisted immigrant communities, including Habitat for Humanity, St. Camillus Food Pantry, and the Langley Park Catholic community.
Clausen spent the rest of his free time traveling with his wife and spoiling his four grandchildren. He was grateful to see both the Washington Nationals and Capitals win championships in his later years.
“My dad was a humble man, a gentle soul, and kept us entertained with his witty sense of humor. He deeply loved his grandchildren and they brought him much joy,” Clausen’s daughter, Tanya Clausen, wrote in a social media post.
Relatives and friends may call at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Blvd. W., Silver Spring, Md., on Monday. March 28, 2-4 p.m. A mass will be held at St. Camillus Church, 1600 St. Camillus Drive, Silver Spring, on March 29, 11 a.m. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be sent to Centro de Intercambio y Solidaridad. Donors should indicate the funds are for the Donald Clausen Scholarship Fund. Checks can also be mailed to Los Olivos CIS, P.O. Box 76, Westmont, Ill. 60559.
