Timothy Drumheller

And I Will Dwell in the House

of the Lord forever.

Timothy (Tim) Gene Drumheller, only child of Gene Drumheller and Linda Hill, was born in INOVA Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, Virginia in 1974 on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th). He was born with a birth defect, later diagnosed in his late teens as Spondylolisthesis (where a forward displacement of a lumbar vertebra on the one below produces pain by compression of the nerve roots). As he grew older, Tim also began to experience bouts of depression. (Both are hereditary on the paternal side of his family.)

Being the only grandchild on his father’s side for six years, his paternal grand-

parents and step-grandfather doted on him. His maternal grandparents equally doted upon him since they did not see him that often. There are still many “Timmy tales” circulating, told over the years by his maternal side of the family.

When he was four years old he wanted to take tap dance lessons. He was the only boy in the class which suited him just fine. A year or two later he decided he was ready for karate lessons. Growing up, he would ride with his Virginia grandfather on weekends, who drove a yellow cab. People would get a kick out of meeting him. By the time he was in his teens he knew pretty much every short cut in the county to avoid traffic.

Tim was full of life and thoroughly enjoyed it. He was always very active, playing sports, i.e. baseball, basketball and football in and out of school. His two main loves from an early age and throughout the remainder of his life were music (basically, all genres with the exception of opera) and Harley Davidson. He attended concerts and dances whenever the opportunity arose – anything with music. Very rarely did you see him without a Harley Davidson t-shirt and/or jacket. One of his best friends was a local DJ. He would invite Tim along and allow him to do several sets. Tim would be in seventh heaven!

A lot of weekends were spent camping with his parents and fishing with his dad; sharing his parents’ enthusiasm for muscle cars, having family cookouts - all things he enjoyed doing. He and his mom were avid movie buffs, loved dancing as well as being music and animal lovers.

Like most young guys, he loved fast food (even though he was an excellent cook). One of his favorite places was The Vienna Inn where he would order six chili dogs. He could inhale six of them while his mother struggled with one. His favorite drink from Starbucks was a mocha coffee latte and, of course, he was a “Coke Cola” guy.

In his teenage years, he fell in with a bad crowd which began the fierce battle of Kid vs. Parents. After two of his best buddies died from drug overdoses, he gradually came to the realization that his parents only had his best interest at heart and soon straightened himself out. As Tim was a physically big guy in high school, he got a job being a bouncer at a popular bar/restaurant in Herndon. His mom refers to these years as “the Hellion years”.

Graduating high school, his dream was to enlist in the military as his paternal grandfather, uncles and great-grandfather all had served in the military. He wanted to join the Navy since his grandfather had been a sonar operator on a submarine in World War II. He was unable to do so as the birth defect had worsened with age accompanied now with scoliosis. Tim was very passionate about helping veterans. He joined the VFW; was Secretary one term and Treasurer another term. Many a time his mom would discover a stranger in the shower; eating a meal or sleeping on the couch. His mom understood his intense desire to help these individuals so she just asked to not be surprised but rather informed instead.

He worked awhile for his Uncle Ray at the paint store . His stint of assisting one of his friends, who is a painter and remodeler, gave him a whole new set of skills. He was hired as a sales person at Tyson’s Mall in the seasonal Christmas store. Then he moved on to the Samsonite Luggage store where the Regional Manager dubbed him “the Silver Tongue” since he could talk practically anyone into buying a set of expensive luggage. He became the top salesman.

During this time he became engaged to a single mother with a young daughter.

Unfortunately, the engagement did not work out. He declared from henceforth it would just be social dating – nothing more.

Tim enjoyed the Samsonite job but knew that wasn’t what he wanted to do with his life. He joined Job Corp and was sent to Pennsylvania for training to become a medical aide. Upon his return, he was employed by Sunrise Senior Assisted Living Facility. The little old ladies adored him, especially a 90+ year one, who would wait every morning in her wheelchair at the door for him. Then she would proceed “to help him” throughout the day and see him off, informing him she would see him tomorrow. Even though he really enjoyed working there, he had to eventually resign as his back couldn’t take lifting residents out of bed and so forth.

He was employed at the Wine Shop until he was declared officially disabled in 2005 at the age of 31. The surgeons would not operate on his back, stating that he was too young until finally it was to the point he was almost in a wheelchair. At long last, in January 2018 at the age of 44, he was able to have back surgery. Within a three-month period he had to undergo another back surgery as the equipment in his back had moved and fractured a vertebra. May 2018, he underwent a second operation with the surgeons inserting heavier equipment. Several severe surgical injuries occurred from this last surgery, causing him to remain using a walker and cane for the last two years.

His medical training came into play when his dad became terminally ill. He was able to assist his mom in caring for his dad and operating the various machines that his dad required toward the end of life.

He and his mom had always had a very close relationship but when his dad passed in March 2020, they became even closer. As they had buried his dad two days before her birthday, he made extra sure they celebrated all the holidays and always had some little surprise for his mom each holiday.

Tim was a friendly, laid back guy with such a big heart that he would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He was always ready to help anyone in any way he could. Like his dad, he was a cut up and possessed a good sense of humor. The majority of his friends were quite a bit older than him as he had grown up around adults most of his life. He was referred to as being “an old soul”. Being the devoted, loving son that he was, he tried to help and take care of his mom the best he could when his dad could no longer do so.

Although in Pain Management, Tim still experienced quite a bit of pain daily. He suffered from constant back pain; a pinched nerve in his left arm leaving him with not much strength in it; his knees, legs and feet bothered him; he had asthma and allergies as well as high blood pressure and cholesterol along with breathing problems as his lungs were not working one hundred percent. He would have short bursts of energy then have to rest several days to recover. These were just some of the health issues he dealt with on a daily basis. He was still experiencing quite a bit of pain in his neck and back. After two MRIs, it was discovered he had a pinched nerve in his back and a vertebra in his neck had collapsed and become embedded in the vertebra beneath it. Surgery would be required in the near future.

Tim did not let his health problems get him down. He was starting to get his life back on track. About five months ago, he was able to begin driving again. He had plans to schedule his first surgery after the pandemic had run its course. This would have repaired the two hernias which were caused by his last surgery. His plan was to schedule one surgery at a time, give himself time to recover and heal, then schedule the next surgery. He also had a list of projects he was going to begin as well as socializing and entertainment plans. He informed his mom that he had purchased $200 worth of Omaha Steaks and other meats to be used for their Father’s Day cookout in memory of Dad and for the Fourth of July. He laughingly told her that by the time they used up all the meat they wouldn’t want to have another cookout until sometime next year.

Two nights before he died in his sleep in bed late at night, he had wrenched his back doing laundry. He asked his mom to finish up for him. Afterward, he put his clothes away, then told her he was going to take his medicine, go to bed and try to sleep and rest a couple of days as he had not been getting much sleep. It was very humid; he mentioned his chest was bothering him along with his asthma. As this was not the first time this had happened, and he was following his doctors’ advice, she did not think that much about it but continued to monitor him as he went in and out the bathroom. She expected him to be up and about after the weekend. When he did not answer her knock on Monday, she found him unresponsive. She called 911 and began CPR to no avail.

He was preceded in death by his father and is survived by his mother, Linda, as well as five aunts and three uncles: Judy Young and Ronald Hill of Jackson, Tennessee, Garry and Theresa Hill of Parsons, Tennessee, Sherry Havard of Middleburg, Florida, Ray and Leslie Robey of Virginia Beach, Virginia and Scharl Baldwin, (deceased) of Schaumberg, Illinois along with a great many cousins and other kinfolk.

He will be sorely missed by all, but especially by his mother who loves him dearly and misses him already. He was her rock and her buddy. But she knows he is no longer in pain and is now reunited with his dad, family and friends gone before him, but most importantly, with our Lord, and that one day she will be reunited with his father and him once more in Heaven.

A brief viewing will be held at the National Funeral Home at 2:30 p.m. followed by a committal graveside service at 3:00 p.m. at the National Memorial Park on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. He will be laid to rest near his dad. If you wish to send flowers or cards, please have them delivered or mailed to the residence: 1910 Pimmit Drive, Falls Church, Virginia 22043.