Amy Louise Van Arnum, an optical technician and an active member of Open Door Metropolitan Community Church in Boyds, Md., died of an undetermined cause June 6 at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital. She was 31. Van Arnum was born in Washington, D.C., and graduated from Middletown High School in Middletown, Md., where she was a majorette for the marching band; a member of the school's "It's Academic Team;" and a member of the National Thespian Society.

Amy majored in Spanish at Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Md. She was an optical technician at Homer Optical at the time of her death, and previously worked at Sterling Optical & Hour Eyes. In her spare time Van Arnum enjoyed computer games, theater performances, and helping out at Open Door MCC. She was the Sunday school teacher at church and coordinated sound programming for Open Door MCC's audio ministry. She also participated in the annual variety show there that featured drag performances.

Amy is survived by her life partner, Sara Jocham of Gaithersburg, Md.; her parents, Howard and Linda Van Arnum of Middletown, Md.; her sister, Katherine Van Arnum of Middletown, Md.; her brother, David Day of Baltimore; her grandparents, William and Lucille Brown of Amsterdam, N.Y.; her aunts and uncles, John and Betty Van Arnum of Tampa, Fla., and Peter and Alice Hartmann of Owego, N.Y.; and several cousins.