VAD Mother & Father of the Year

Nancy B. Rarus

Nancy B. Rarus lives in Herndon, Virginia. Although she is retired, she keeps herself busy with church, visits to her two children and six grandchildren, trips to other countries, and fostering rescue pugs in addition to taking care of her own two pugs, Adam and Eve.

Nancy was born in New Jersey. She graduated from Gallaudet University in 1962 with a B.A. in Psychology, and from California State University at Northridge in 1974 with an M.A. in Education Administration and Supervision. She taught at the Connecticut School for the Deaf from 1962 to 1977. She was principal of the Arizona School for the Deaf from 1977 to 1988 and was featured as an Arizona educator on “Deaf Mosaic” in 1985.

When she lived in Arizona, Nancy served on a Block Grants Committee for the Tucson City Council. In 1988, Nancy moved to Virginia. She took charge of the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (VDDHH) Task Force to improve the Virginia Relay Service. She served as secretary of the Virginia Association of the Deaf (VAD) for six years. She taught in the education department at Gallaudet University for one year, then became principal of the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School from 1991 to 1997. Nancy received the Distinguished Service Award from VAD in 1999.

Nancy has been involved with the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) since 1973. Except for 1986 to 1990, she served on the NAD Board and various committees the whole time. She was Associate Executive Director for Programs at NAD from 1998 until she retired in October 2003. Nancy is the current secretary of Deaf Seniors of America (DSA), a position she has held since 2003.

Nancy has two children, Tim Rarus of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Kim Hamilton of Austin, Texas, who are greatly influenced by their mother. Tim was one of the four student leaders of the Deaf President Now protest at Gallaudet University in 1988. He currently works for Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD). He and his wife Brandi adopted a deaf baby girl last year to join their family of three hearing boys. Kim teaches 5th grade at the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin. She has two deaf children. Kim’s children are the 5^th generation to be deaf in Nancy’s family, beginning with Nancy’s deaf grandparents in New Jersey.

Nancy is an active member of the Fairfax Church of Christ’s Deaf Ministry. She was previously a member of the Lutheran and Episcopal churches. Her favorite pastime is reading. She has taken classes in stained glass painting and needlepoint. She loves to travel and cannot stand letting other people drive. She dreams of owning a log cabin and an RV for traveling with her darling pugs.

Steven K. Chough

Steve’s role as a father has been defined by a core set of values that influence both his personal and professional life: the traits that make Steve a leader in the Deaf Community also make him an exceptional father and role model to his children. Guided by a powerful belief that every person holds endless potential to overcome challenges, achieve their personal goals, and contribute to make the world a better place, our father has committed his life to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to leave their mark on the world.

As a self-made immigrant to the United States, our father has never been satisfied with his own personal success, as his “American Dream” has been to empower other Deaf individuals through social work, education, and Community building to maximize their own quality of life. Through his dual role as a thought leader in social work, mental health and education, and as a passionate advocate for Deaf civil rights, our father has been intimately involved with the Deaf Community at the local, regional and the national levels for over 40 years. Through his work, he instilled in us the courage to persevere over what we often perceive to be insurmountable challenges, and a high degree of self-reliance and independence.

Our father is often thought of as an intermediary that skillfully navigates often distinct worlds—helping to foster mutual understanding between Deaf and hearing populations, ethnic groups within the Deaf Community, and the international Deaf community—so that people can better understand their differences, commonalities, and shared interests. With his natural curiosity, our father has long been interested in learning about cultures, languages, and the beliefs of cultures all over the globe, so that he, his family, and his students could benefit from a deeper understanding of the humanity that connects us all. As a father and educator, Steve always emphasized the value of listening before speaking, using humor to build strong relationships, and the power of empathy. As adults, we share his love of international travel, cultural and historical studies, and learning from others whose personal histories are distinctly unique from our own.

While a one page description is surely insufficient to capture our father’s personal and professional achievements, we believe that his humility would prefer that we keep our remarks brief. Our father leads his life with great principle, a commitment to social advancement over personal advancement, and despite his incredibly busy schedule, always placed his family first among his priorities. Thank you for your consideration.