Notes:
see 29277513
Data source is the 1990 book, "Moomaw-Mumma-Mumaw-Mumaugh Genealogy" compiled by Robert Austin Moomaw (deceased).
Donald Richard (Dick) Moomaw, 85, of Orkney Springs, passed away the same way he lived his life, quietly and peacefully, at his home on April 26, 2022. He was born in Orkney Springs, Virginia, on June 8, 1936 to the late Wilmer Elwood and Nellie Stickley Moomaw. He was predeceased by his brother, Wilmer Edmund (Ned) Moomaw.
As his self- proclaimed ambitions during high school were to travel and work for Uncle Sam, once he graduated from Triplett High School in 1954, he got on with it and became a proud member of the U.S. Army. He had many stories of his times at Camp Gordon in Augusta, Georgia and his boat rides to Hawaii, Okinawa, and back again.
Once a traveler, always a traveler, Dick came home from his Army stint, married the love of his life, Thelma Funkhouser, and moved to Northern Virginia to begin his career at C&P Telephone Company. In 1973 they moved back home to Orkney Springs where Dick became the Assistant Director of Shrine Mont and worked with his father. It was the perfect job for him because of his background in communications. He could fix anything as long as he had a roll of electric tape and bailer twine. In 1988, he was appointed Executive Director of Shrine Mont where, working along side his brother John, he retired in 2006 after 34 years of service to the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia.
In retirement, Dick enjoyed farming, gardening, hunting, baseball, family gatherings, people watching in the busy town of Orkney Springs, and, of course, more traveling. He visited all 50 states while also finding time to galavant in Japan, Norway, Canada, Australia, England, and a very sentimental trip to Normandy, France. He and Thelma traveled throughout the state of Virginia and beyond to support their grandchildren in baseball, tennis, soccer, basketball, volleyball, and dance/music while somehow being staunch fans of the UVA Wahoos, VT Hokies, OSU Buckeyes, JMU Dukes, CNU Captains, and the Bridgewater College Eagles. His love of sports came to a glorious peak when as an 82-year-old he made a hole-in-one on the par 3 third hole at Bryce Resort.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years and 51 weeks, Thelma Funkhouser Moomaw of Orkney Springs; daughter Jennifer Gregory (Dan Madden) of Richmond, daughter Karen (Kevin) Rose of Orkney Springs, and son Kevin (Mary) Moomaw of Orkney Springs; six wonderful grandchildren: William and Thomas Gregory, Lucy and Lettie Rose, and Margaret and Elizabeth Moomaw; brother John (Judi) Moomaw of Harrisonburg and sister Carolyn (John) Chilton of Orkney Springs; sister-in-law Suzanne Moomaw of Charlottesville; uncle Robert (Bob) Moomaw of Bloomville, Ohio and numerous nieces and nephews. Dick thought of everyone as family and also loved to sit and chat for hours with any and everyone of the clan.
Dick dearly loved his Orkney Springs community and all of the Shrine Mont friends and families he met throughout the years. There were no better days for him than riding a tractor around the farm, stopping to talk with the locals as they drove by, then enjoying a cold beverage while listening to a distant whippoorwill and the voices bouncing around the mountain at Shrine Mont.
He was a 49-year member of the West Shenandoah Ruritan Club, a member of SCV Capt. Jack Adams Camp # 1951, and a past member of the Orkney Springs-Basye Fire and Rescue Squad.
They don't make many like him anymore, and as his family has often been told, Dick was a quiet guy who had a big presence. And for that we say, "well done, good and faithful servant."
A memorial celebration will be held on Saturday May 28th at 2:30 p.m. at the Cathedral Shrine of the Transfiguration at Shrine Mont. A reception will immediately follow at the Virginia House.
Memorial gifts may be made to Shrine Mont, PO Box 10, Orkney Springs, Virginia, 22845 or www.shrinemont.com/donate.
Online condolences can be left at www.valleyfs.com
Arrangements by Heishman Funeral Home Inc., Valley Funeral Service Branch, Edinburg.
Published by Northern Virginia Daily on May 3, 2022.