Loretta Micklow Hight

Loretta Jean Micklow Hight, 75, of Arlington, Virginia, passed away surrounded by her family on September 19, 2026. She was a beloved wife, mother, neighbor, and friend.

Loretta was born in Russellton, Pennsylvania, on September 1, 1951 to Michael and Mary Micklow. She grew up surrounded by a fiercely loving family of grandparents, aunts, uncles, brother, and cousins who were her closest friends. She treasured her large yet close-knit family, and loved her frequent visits home and to the annual Gentile reunions in Emporium. 

In her early adulthood, Loretta struck out to carve her own path. After a thwarted attempt in her childhood to catch the bus downtown with her young cousin in tow, Loretta worked in  Pittsburgh as a secretary. She moved to Washington D.C., where she applied for a job with the United States Foreign Service. ... (Cairo + Seoul)

In the time between Korea and her next posting in Senegal, Loretta found herself in need of a car. Spending time with family in Pittsburgh, she bought a new one there, before realizing on the drive down to D.C. that this just wasn't the car for her. Thank goodness she didn't like that car. She brought the car in to Arlington Volkswagen, where she did find another car she liked. In true Loretta fashion, she was not quite satisfied with the deal the salesman was offering for the trade. Knowing she was going to walk, the salesman called for the manager, a Mr. John C. Hight. He closed the deal. And she bought the car, too.

Off Loretta and John went to Dakar, where he proposed and she, of course, said yes. Several tasks lay ahead. Importantly, John had to meet the family. This he did, driving through Russellton, when what does he see (and hear), but Mary Micklow calling out, honking, and waving from her car at the man with the Virginia plates that must be her future son-in-law. John also arranged for a Catholic priest to anoint their long-distance marriage, and they both navigated the bureaucratic red tape until finally it was official, and he could join her in Dakar. There, they enjoyed their first years of marriage, basking on beaches, meandering through bazaars, and managing scrapes (including a literal scrape from the horns of a goat along their car). 

Next, a new continent, and a new baby. Loretta and John welcomed their first daughter, Jennifer, in 1985 in Occupied Berlin, while posted in Warsaw, Poland. The little family went on strolls through Checkpoint Charlie, and    ...

In the summer of 1990, while back in Arlington, Loretta and John had another daughter, Alison. Shortly after, the family moved to Moscow, U.S.S.R. Life on the American compound was full of first steps both on land (for Alison) and on ice (for Jennifer). Loretta's posting coincided with the last year of the Soviet Union, and the family watched fireworks over the snow-blanketed field in the new year of the new Russia.

The family returned to Arlington for several years, during which Loretta spent as much time as possible with her parents and family during weekends, holidays, and summers. Cherished memories were made during this time, with her daughters getting a taste of the Russellton life and Gentile family bonds that Loretta loved so dearly. They gathered around the kitchen table for pizza, Kings Corner, Scrabble, and of course, "one more cookie," then went "down the house" for poolside fun, Canasta, and run sheepy run with her aunt, uncle, and beloved cousins and their children. The Hight girls were enveloped by this loving, gregarious family, and treasure every memory.

Loretta's final posting abroad was Montréal, Canada. The first and only non-hardship assignment, living in Montréal allowed her to continue to spend time with her Russellton family. Her mother visited her there, just as she had visited Senegal and Poland, though this time with much greater ease. The family enjoyed the many activities Montréal has to offer, including Cirque du Soleil, the Jazz Festival, watching the Expos at the Stade Olympique, the Pens and Habs at the Molson Centre, and strolling the streets of the Old Port, visiting the cathedral and shops. She cheered her daughters across sporting events and school performances. 

Living in Arlington, Virginia, Loretta participated in local and neighborhood activities. She enjoyed walking, whether through the nearby Bluemont Rose Garden, or up Independence Avenue, making her voice heard. She also enjoyed spending time in the mountains with her husband and daughters, painting, walking the trail, listening to her husband play his guitar, and basking in the skyline from the peace of the deck. Other hobbies included learning the ukulele, reading, photography, cooking (if she deemed her food edible, you knew it was delicious), and gardening.