Paul Garibaldi Ziluca, 94 passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 12, 2022 at the Blue Ridge Hospice Center on Cork Street in Winchester, VA.

Paul’s mother was Josephine, a granddaughter of Giuseppe Garibaldi, who history has credited with being the one who, in 1860, brought Italy’s many city-states together as a nation. Paul’s father was Joseph, whose Greek ancestor joined Emperor Constantine’s 312 AD march on Rome and afterwards settled in the Italian town of Cave, 35 miles SE of Rome, where the Ziluca descendants continued to live for the next 1600 years. Joseph and Josephine were married in 1926 and left Italy soon afterwards due to Mussolini’s fascism, arriving in the USA in 1927.

Born on March 26, 1928 in Greenwich, CT, Paul graduated from Culver Military Academy and Harvard College where he met Louise, his wife of 69 years. He was commissioned in the USAF in August 1952 and served his country for 28 years, half of them overseas, including Vietnam in 1968, the year of the Tet Offensive. During his career, he earned a Master’s Degree and reached the rank of Colonel.

In civilian life, Paul became a devoted preservationist, mapping the Civil War battles of Aldie, Middleburg and Upperville and serving for 8 years as chair of the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, the nation’s largest holder of Conservation Easements. He also served as Loudoun County Republican Party Chair from 1991 to 1994. In 2009, he was named a Loudoun Laureate in recognition of his positive contribution to Loudoun County life. His greatest achievement, though, was his family.

Paul, preceded in death by his two brothers and parents, is survived by his wife Louise, and their 4 children, Loveday and her husband John of Indio, California, Joseph and his wife Sue, of New York City, Isobel and her husband Danny, of Upperville, Virginia and Maxwell and his wife, Christine of Ellicott City, Maryland. There are 5 granddaughters, Josie, Becky, Adrienne, Bee, Caroline and 3 grandsons, Tom, Daniel and Jackson. Finally, there are two great grandchildren, the two Z’s, Zoe and Zane, presented to the Ziluca family by Daniel and his loving wife, Abby.

A visitation will be held at Omps Funeral Home on Amherst Street on Monday May 23, 2022 from 4pm to 6pm and then a memorial service for the following day at 3pm at Westminster Canterbury.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the SVWC Foundation for their Art programs.

Please visit obituaries and tribute wall at ompsfuneralhome.com.