William Zirkle Obituary

William Denman Zirkle, 86, was called home to be with his father in heaven on January 31st, 2025. He passed away peacefully on his family farm near Edinburg, Va.

Mr. Zirkle was born on December 6, 1938, in Roanoke, Va., son of William Isaiah and Dorothy Smythe Zirkle. His grandparents were the late William Wade and Ada Alice Bowman Zirkle of Edinburg, Va., and Prof. Marion Augustus and Hattie Hutchinson Smythe of Roanoke, Va.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Dagmar von Maltzahn (1939-1987). From this marriage he is survived by Dr. Micaela Zirkle Shaughnessy of Alexandria, Va.; Sigrid Zirkle Carroll (William) of Montana City, Mont.; Bettina Zirkle Garcia (Jose) of Zionsville, Ind., and William Wade Zirkle (Mary) of Denver, Colo. He is survived by nine grandchildren: Ensign Bowman Shaughnessy, Midshipman Tenney Shaughnessy, William, Andrew and Charles Carroll, and Frances, Winsome, Chester and Isaac Zirkle. He is also survived by his sister, Anne Pendleton Zirkle, of Harrisonburg, Va.

He is survived by his wife, Ann Sweeney Zirkle, whom he married in 2011; Ann was his greatest cheerleader during their golden years –they traveled the world and visited with family and friends enjoying adventure and wine along the way. During his final years, Ann provided Denman with abiding, loving care and comfort until his final hours. Surviving also are his step-daughter, Jennifer Smith Fary (Albert) and grandchildren Sloane and Alec Fary of BenAvon Heights, Pa.

In his final years, he was incredibly appreciative of the outstanding medical care and personal attention he received from his PMC Dr. Gayland O. Hethcoat, and Dr. Jose P. Garcia, his son-in-law, and personal physician. Jose was always on-call for Denman; His attentiveness and emergency interventions gave Denman several more meaningful years with his family.

The family is grateful for Home Instead caregivers; especially Jeanette Frye, who was a blessing to Denman and his family in his final weeks.

Mr. Zirkle was a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School (Roanoke, Va.), where was known as "Denny", Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. At VPI, he was the 2nd Battalion XO in the Corps of Cadets and Judge of the Cadet Honor Court. He was a member of Alpha Kappa Psi, Omicron Delta Kappa, Scabbard and Blade, and designated a Distinguished Military Student. He served for many years on the Advisory Council of Virginia Tech's Pamplin College of Business.

After his graduations and commissioning in the U.S. Army, he served with the U.S. Army at Fort Eustis, Va., and Frankfurt, Germany. He adored his country and loved serving her, retiring from the U.S. Army Reserves as a Lieutenant Colonel.

After his active-duty service in the U.S. Army, he began his career in Roanoke with the IBM Corporation. He spent most of his career in the institutional investment management business with Conrail, Lynch & Mayer, Lincoln National Corp., and Franklin Templeton. In 2002 he joined Carret & Co as CEO, the post from which he retired in 2005. In his retirement, he was named Executive Director of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, which he led for five years. In 2012 he became a managing partner of the Richard Böcking Winery, a wine estate in the Moselle Valley of Germany, which had been owned and operated by his late wife's family since 1624. He retained this post until his final year, sharing this partnership with his daughter, Sigrid.

He was a loyal family man who loved his children dearly, and who was always available to them. After the passing of his first wife at age 48, he managed the herculean responsibility of raising four adolescent children as a single, working father. He was an enthusiastic-yet challenged-outdoorsman who nonetheless enjoyed taking his children backpacking, swimming, hunting, and fishing in the Virginia mountains. He was an old-fashioned sort, with a penchant for bluegrass music (as well as Mozart), railroads, oysters, George Dickel and his 1972 Land Rover – which was the only "toy" he ever aspired to own. He will always be remembered by his family for his fidelity, his humor, and his love.

He was intensely interested in military history and how historical events have shaped our identity; He was a dedicated conservationist of historical landmarks. A lifelong traveler, only Australia escaped his continental explorations.

He was a member of St John's Anglican Church in Marshall, Va., where he served on the vestry; he also attended his family's legacy church, Bethel Lutheran Church in Edinburg, Va.

He served on the Board of Trustees of Randolph-Macon Woman's College, the Civil War Preservation Trust, the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, and the Valley Conservation Council.

Visitation will be on Sunday February 9th at Dellinger Funeral Home in Woodstock, between 5:00pm and 7:00pm.

Funeral services and graveside burial will be held at 2:00pm on Monday February 10, 2025 at the Bethel Lutheran Church, Edinburg, Va., officiated by the Rev. Canon Jonathan J. D. Ostman, SSC. A reception will follow in the church hall for family and friends.

Pallbearers are Rodney Graves, Randy Kibler, Justin Pence, Randy Phillips, Brett Wightman and Justin Wightman.

If desired, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Bethel Lutheran Parish - Edinburg, and the Edinburg Volunteer Fire Department.

Arrangements are in the care of Dellinger Funeral Homes, Woodstock.

Online condolences may be made at dellingerfuneralhome.com