Dr. Herbert Irving Earnshaw, 97, of Stephens City, VA passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 23, 2020, at his home.
Dr. Earnshaw was born in 1923 in Washington, DC, son of the late William and Myrtle Earnshaw, and lived his early life in suburban Maryland. He served as a United States Army medic in the Pacific during WWII, and graduated from Georgetown University School of Dentistry in 1950.
Dr. Earnshaw loved adventures. His trips included a 300 mile float on an inflatable raft on a wild ride in Alaska with his son, Bill, rescuing a woman trapped in an icy crevasse on a glacier at the southern tip of Argentina, giving CPR to a woman gored by a wild buffalo in Kenya, shaking hands with Sir Edmund Hillary in the shadow of Mt. Everest in Nepal, riding on the back of an elephant in a jungle in India in a successful search for tigers. With his son, Bill, he climbed Machu Picchu in Peru to as high as tourists were allowed to go. There were other adventures around the globe.
His professional activities included thirty years of active dental practice in his own office in Maryland, and twenty plus years as an associate in Winchester. He was licensed in three states, served inmates in prisons in VA and WV, and filled in at private offices on occasions when the primary dentist was away for an extended time. He also provided bedside dentistry for local nursing home residents. After 66 years of practice, Dr. Earnshaw retired from dentistry in 2016.
Dr. Earnshaw had a deep bass voice and enjoyed singing with The Apple Capital Barbershop Harmony Society Chorus in Winchester, and with the Relief United Methodist Church Choir in Winchester.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Ruth, who served as his office manager and chairside assistant for many years in his Maryland office. Also preceding him in death is a son, Garrett “Gary” I. Earnshaw.
Surviving is a son, William F. Earnshaw, Sr. and wife, Shelby of Midland, VA; six grandchildren; several great grandchildren; sister, Doris Williams of Pullman, WV and brother, William R. Earnshaw of Griffin, GA.
A visitation will be held on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 from 11am – 1pm at Omps Funeral Home, Amherst Chapel. A funeral service will follow at 1pm with Rev. Kathleen W. Haynes officiating. Interment with military honors will follow at Shenandoah Memorial Park, Winchester, Virginia.
Those who cannot attend Dr. Earnshaw’s services can stream it live through his obituary page on the Omps Funeral Home website – www.ompsfuneralhome.com.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his name to Relief United Methodist Church, 5275 Middle Road, Winchester, VA 22602.