Johnnie Ray Zerkle, 86, of Las Vegas, passed away on Nov. 25,2025 in Las Vegas, NV. John was born on Jan. 30, 1939, in Accoville, West Virginia to the late William Moss and Lillian Grace (Cart) Zerkle. He graduated from Craddock High School in Portsmouth, VA and served in the US Army during the Vietnam War. He then moved to Las Vegas after his service.
John worked as a firefighter for the Clark County Fire Department for 26 years, serving from 1969 to 1995. He was one of the original members of the Local 1908 Firefighters Union. John had a passion for baseball and collecting baseball cards, and he also participated in League bowling.
He was proceeded in death by eleven of his thirteen siblings, and his daughter, Terry Phelps (David) who passed away in 2022. He is survived by a brother, Harold Zerkle (Rosie), and a sister, Mary Shepherd (Bobby). He is also survived by six of his seven children: four sons, Billy, Michael (Tina), John (Deon), and Alex; and two daughters, Beth Dehler (Reese) and Colleen Sternberg (Dave).
Services will be held Friday, Jan. 2,2026 at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City at 12:40pm.
