Thomas Nelson Zirkle, 83, formerly of Winchester, passed away on September 15, 2023 in the Community Living Center at the VA Medical Center in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

Born on January 20, 1940 in Alton, WV, he was the son of the late Loren Oliver Zirkle and Carrie (Wayts) Zirkle. His brothers Danford Zirkle and Myron Zirkle preceded him in death. Tom is survived by his wife and high school sweetheart, Eleanor Rae (Crites) Zirkle, with whom he shared 64 happy years of marriage. Tom was the proud father of two sons, Loren Zirkle of Pennsylvania Furnace, PA, and Braniff Zirkle of Winchester, VA.

After graduating from Buckhannon-Upshur High School, Tom joined the United States Navy as a Radarman. His years of service took him around the world, and his postings took his young family first to Illinois and then on to Virginia. He received an honorable discharge from the Navy at the rank of Petty Officer First Class. Following his service, Tom began a second career as a technician in the field of computing, eventually joining the ranks at IBM from which he retired after more than thirty years.

A keen adventurer, Tom traveled the United States extensively with his wife Eleanor, and loved to explore natural wonders across the country that he loved dearly. Tom was an avid fisherman and took great joy in fishing trips to the Outer Banks with his sons and many dogs. He was a natural storyteller, a beloved jokester, an enthusiastic tinkerer, and easily made friends with people who might otherwise have been casual acquaintances.

In addition to his wife and sons, Tom is survived by his daughter-in-law Donna Zirkle; grandson Casey Love and his wife Rebekah Love; granddaughter Robbin Zirkle Degeratu and her husband Liviu Degeratu; and grandson Kevin Love and his wife Bia Love.

Visitation for Tom will be held at Omps Funeral Home, Amherst Chapel, on Thursday September 21st from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. The funeral will be on Friday, September 22nd at 1:30 PM at Omps Funeral Home, followed by a procession to Mount Hebron Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Tunnels to Towers Foundation, www.t2t.org.