Harold Eugene Starke

STARKE, Harold Eugene, of Ashland, Virginia, died peacefully in his sleep at his home in the early hours of Monday, April 6, 2015. He was 97. Born on his family farm, “Eureka”, in western Hanover County on March 31, 1918 to Dr. Parke Purdy Starke and Audrey Corson Starke, he moved to Ashland at an early age and always considered himself a lifetime resident of the “center of the universe”. He was educated in accounting at Strayer College and Randolph-Macon College. As a young man, he had a keen interest in flying and for a number of years maintained his own private plane near his home in Ashland. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, he joined the Army Air Corps, where he attained the rank of Captain flying air transport and medevac missions across North Africa from Casablanca, Morocco to Karachi, India and airbases in between, and was an instructor pilot in the Air Corps’ C-46 “Commando”. After the war, he became a certified public accountant and commenced his public accounting career at the firm of Ernst and Ernst. In addition to his public accounting career, he served stints with the Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts and as an officer of the Hanover National Bank and ultimately established a private accounting and tax practice in Ashland. Harold served as a member of the Ashland Town Council. He was a lifetime member of the Ashland Presbyterian Church, where he served as a Deacon and an Elder, and a long-time member of the Board of Trustees of the Woodland Cemetery Association. He was also a member of the Ashland Lions Club and the Ashland Masonic Lodge. He was proud of his service to his church, country and community, and he loved the Town of Ashland and Randolph-Macon College, but most of all he was proud of his family and of the 68 year marriage he shared with his beautiful bride, Aurelia, who died in 2010. He is survived by their five children: Judith S. Upton (Jim) of Hertford, NC, Harold E. Starke, Jr. of Richmond, Jane S. Sims (Robert) of Ellicott City, MD, Susan S. Keane (Dan) of Bon Air, VA and John G. Starke of Richmond; seven grandchildren: Michael Upton (Cynthia) of Grapevine, TX, Michelle Halbig (Mike) of Severn, MD, McKeen Starke (Arpie) of Singapore, SG, Molly Kump (Cy) of Richmond, Lauren Smith (Tim) of Westminster, MD, Robin Forte (Adam) of Columbia, MD and Benjamin Keane (Katie) of Arlington, VA; and nine great-grandchildren. The family will receive friends from 3 to 6 pm on Saturday, April 11 at the Nelsen Funeral Home, 412 S. Washington Hwy, in Ashland. Following a private burial on Sunday, April 12, a memorial service will be held at 2 pm at the Ashland Presbyterian Church. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions may be made to the Ashland Presbyterian Church, 401 Virginia Street, Ashland, VA 23005, or to the Harold E. and Aurelia H. Starke Scholarship Fund at Randolph-Macon College, PO Box 5005, Ashland, VA 23005. We have lost another member of the greatest generation who has deservedly “slipped the surly bonds of earth” and “touched the face of God”.