Tribute Wall
Plant a tree in memory of David
An environmentally friendly option
Provide comfort for the family by sending flowers or planting a tree in memory of David Starnes.
Guaranteed hand delivery by a local florist
Loading...
3
The family of David Starnes uploaded a photo
Thursday, August 31, 2017
/tribute-images/6863/Ultra/David-Starnes.jpg
Please wait
3
The family of David Starnes uploaded a photo
Thursday, August 31, 2017
/tribute-images/6865/Ultra/David-Starnes.jpg
Please wait
3
The family of David Starnes uploaded a photo
Thursday, August 31, 2017
/tribute-images/6861/Ultra/David-Starnes.jpg
Please wait
3
The family of David Starnes uploaded a photo
Thursday, August 31, 2017
/tribute-images/6864/Ultra/David-Starnes.jpg
Please wait
3
The family of David Starnes uploaded a photo
Thursday, August 31, 2017
/tribute-images/6862/Ultra/David-Starnes.jpg
Please wait
3
The family of David Starnes uploaded a photo
Thursday, August 31, 2017
/tribute-images/6866/Ultra/David-Starnes.png
Please wait
W
William Kessler posted a condolence
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
How do you honor such a great mans life with just a few words or sentences ? Its difficult to say the least. David Starnes was a true man. He loved and nourished his family in times of joy and great tragedy, He was kind and generous to others, He loved and served his country in times of conflict. In this day of false heroes that gain acclaim from celebrity status and not by deeds he stand out as a man that can and should be labeled with the term "hero". I learned so many things from him that I still carry in my heart today. I think back to a day when he was teaching me carpentry and helping me finish a basement in my house. By help I should say he was doing the real work and I was, ...... well..... not so good at carpentry and so he found projects for me to keep me out of his way. He put me up on a ladder to sand some freshly hung drywall. I sanded away furiously trying my best to do a good job. I suddenly heard David clear his throat gently and noticed his face looking up at me, snow white with only two eye holes visible. His face and hair was covered with drywall dust He dusted himself off and kindly suggested I make a trip to the local hardware store to get more building supply. That was actually code for get the heck out of my way ! Despite my slow start, many of his lessons stayed with me and now in a reversal of roles people call me to help them with home improvement projects ! So in so many ways the legacy of his life lives on in his family and friends in ways he probably never knew. In this celebration of his life and legacy I am proud to say I knew him and loved him and blessed to call him my friend.
P
Paul Gill posted a condolence
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Remembering Pa,
While my exposure to Ma and Pa is probably the shortest of anyone in the family, it goes without saying that he has was a remarkable man and left an indelible mark on my life.
My first encounter with Ma and Pa was when I was dating Liz and was invited out to her home for dinner in Catlett Va. Yes, I was a bit nervous about this first encounter but by evening's end, I felt welcomed and comforted by their warm and gracious reception. I can still recall initially addressing them as Mr. and Mrs. Starnes and they both quickly put my mind at ease and said, we are Ma and Pa. From that point forward, while it took a little getting used to, I addressed them as Ma and Pa.
As time went by, Pa and I became closer and found that he was quickly becoming that "father" figure I was so missing in my life. While I can't quite put my finger on it, there was something about Pa that commanded respect. Perhaps that is why, when I decided to propose to Liz, that I thought it only appropriate to first ask for his permission to do so. I can still recall nervously driving to Ma and Pa's apartment to ask Pa for his permission to take his daughter's hand in marriage. It was a totally spontaneous encounter and I can still recall and visualize the group hug we all shared after I explained my intent and obtained his approval and blessing to go forward with my plan. The well wishes he made at our wedding reception were so profound and prophetic, I still to this day wish I had captured what he said on videotape. The cruise to Bermuda that he and Ma made with Liz and me on our first anniversary remains a fond memory and one we will never forget.
While there were many fond memories of Ma and Pa at the townhome Liz and I lived in after getting married, the next notable encounter was when Ma and Pa went with us to look at homes. Pa would always ask us how the home search was going and as a result, we decided one day to invite them to come along. Needless to say, the first time they went with us turned out to be the last as the home we went to see with them would ultimately become the home we now reside in. Pa fell in love with the house, as did we, the first time he saw it. After we moved in, one of Pa's favorite things to do was to either sit on the front porch rocking chairs or later sit on the deck we had constructed after we moved in. He so loved just sitting on the deck under the gazebo to admire the plants that Liz had planted, look off in the distance at the trees that surrounded the property, watch the birds and of course, planes flying into Dulles Airport. Can't help thinking it reminded him of the days and the stories he shared of his days in the PBY squadron. I was, and will continue to be, touched by his interest, as exemplified by his recent sharing of internet OPM searches, and the encouragement he provided for my son Brandon and his pursuit of a career in aviation.
As time went by, it became apparent that he and I had many common interests from sports to politics, to home improvement projects and could seemingly talk for hours about most anything. I so thoroughly enjoyed when he would visit, and while humorous, took comfort in how he would walk around our home and look at some of the home improvement projects I had undertaken. He would always ask, "So what sort of project do you have going now?" Needless to say, I took great pride in being complimented by Pa when he would admire what I had done and make statements like, "Is there anything you can't do?" I have fond memories of Pa helping me hang some kitchen light fixtures, bedroom ceiling fans as well as his help with the building of a new gate for the back yard. He always could draw upon a past experience and make a recommendation on how to make a difficult task easier. I can also remember calling Pa one time when a wiring fixture was getting the best of me and asked for his advice.
Over time, I got Pa interested in hockey and more specifically, the Washington Capitals. After explaining to him how the game was structured and what the various "referee whistles" meant, he became so engaged with the game that he had expressed a desire to perhaps one day attend a Washington Capitals game. We talked once, after they moved to Tall Oaks, of sitting down together to watch a Washington Capitals or Washing ton Redskins game over some pizza and beer. A desire I still reflect upon and wish I could have granted.
One of the fondest memories I have of Ma and Pa was Easter of 2013, when for whatever reason, Pa saw a Jimmy Buffett CD on the counter and decided to place it into the CD player in the kitchen and queued up the song "Margaritaville". He and Ma began to dance and I was able to capture it on my Smartphone and formulate it into a priceless memory viewable on YouTube under the title of "A Pirate Looks at 90". I thoroughly love how he sang parts of the song and at the very end of the song he shouts "That's all folks". I firmly believe this video (URL listed below) represents how Pa saw life and perhaps how he would like to be remembered.
A Pirate Looks at 90
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+a+pirate+looks+at+90&FORM=VIRE3%23view=detail&mid=3492E8091B9C3091847A3492E8091B9C3091847A#view=detail&mid=3492E8091B9C3091847A3492E8091B9C3091847A
In closing, and regrettably only having the pleasure of knowing Pa for a short while, it gave me great pleasure to get to know and learn from him. Whether it was moving him and Ma out of the Ravensworth Towers or handing him a bowl of ice cream, he was always so genuinely appreciative of anything that was done for him. He was a model citizen, husband and father and one who has and will continue to influence my outlook as a husband and parent. As previously mentioned, I only wish I could have helped him fulfill some of the things still on his wish list and would have been able to capture the many stories and rich history of his life. It was truly an honor and pleasure knowing him and being welcomed into the Starnes family. One must take solace in knowing what he expressed at the end to those around him, that he had "No Regrets".
In loving memory of a truly remarkable man,
Paul
P
Paul G posted a condolence
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Youtube Video (A Pirate Looks at 90)
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+a+pirate+looks+at+90&FORM=VIRE3#view=detail&mid=3492E8091B9C3091847A3492E8091B9C3091847A
M
Matthew posted a condolence
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Known to us, the grandchildren, he was simply Pa. In fact there was rarely as I recall knowledge or mention of our grandparents, as actually being grandparents. They were always, "Dolly and Pa". A one and for all term of endearment. Later years, I knew him still as Pa, but had made the distinction; they were in fact two individuals.
It's difficult to liken Pa to anything or anyone else. You see, I feel we can never give the justice earned. Everything begins to sound cliché and those still around us can feel slighted. The best I can do is to share some of my memories, some of my thoughts on a man that made a difference. Perhaps in them you can see some of the results of his lessons, his legacy's sake. I'm no writer in the sense that the Acorn and Oak were, so I apologize for any lack flow or disjointedness in presenting my thoughts out loud.
To me Pa embodied honesty, fairness, self-taught wisdom, a jack of all trades and self-assuredness. The stoic look you see in the photo shared in his obituary is his almost smile that he had for most photos he has taken that I've seen anyhow. I have seen him laugh and smile quite often, but not for photos. Too posed of a moment if I were to guess and he was too real for those moments. Behind that look though, was this man that could do almost anything I'd imagined.
I have pictures of visits when I was very young. Pa often wore a hat in those days. A kind of thirlby or stingy brim, I found they were called. To me he looked like a cross of Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra. And in my imagination while looking at these photos his disposition reflected something similar as well. A kindly and humorous side I would credit to Hope and a mysterious keep on your toes side from Sinatra to keep you guessing.
He stayed with us a while when I had just turned 14. My parents bought this old house and he came up to help with renovations. I learned to solve the puzzles of electrical and plumbing work and how the two should never be mixed! Each day after school I sat in the raw framework of two new bathrooms he was building and we connected them to one a floor below and one other a floor above. He taught me how to sweat and solder copper pipe and create an octopus of pvc drainage! We ran wire this way and that and learned single and double pole switching. What was a traveler, a common, a hot and a ground. He also made a hell of a fish chowder that visit and I learned about the spice Thyme, as it was quite heavily present! I can picture the pot on the stove and its taste still comes to mind!
I my later teens I spent some time visiting on weekends at their place on the cove. We sat on the balcony and looked at the stars. Shared thoughts on what the cosmos and life could possibly be withholding from us and how insignificant we really were in the scheme of it all. He told me some stories of his life and growing up. He would do that if you asked him to, but he most often would tell you about others. The stars were plentiful there as the view was not distorted by the pollution of city lights. It was a place of peace and solitude and most certainly felt like such. I'd like to say we could have answered all the questions of mankind and solved the world's problems during those talks, but I was focused on more serious things like, can I have another beer (I was 17/18 then. Shhh!) and why does Davey have a VW packed full of record albums in the side drive anyway? Hmm
I could go on of other visits, lessons and such, but not all is to be shared. We each get a piece, a slice of his cheeseburger in paradise if you will, of our very own.
He had a wonderful sense of humor and could steal the show, but was also quite humble, turning the spotlight to other subjects and other people. I've heard stories of him helping those down on their luck and I believe it's from a man that never forgot where he came from. There must have been many a time that he could have and may have accepted the kindness of another and been the recipient of a hand up. He built his world, he built his family, he loved it all and in the end, I doubt there was much regret in decisions made along the way. After all, they led to exactly where we find ourselves now. We are, in this very moment, thinking about him. Thinking of the contribution, the difference he made in each of our lives. There is a smile (maybe only halfway on the outside) on our faces and on our hearts and a feeling in this very moment that is because of him. It's a gift from him and we can cherish it always.
Thank you Pa for the life you gave that led to me and for the direction I quietly took from the example you were and still are to me. You experienced Heaven and Hell on this Earth and when we meet again, I don't suspect we'll need to yell.
Love, Matthew
B
Bob Rose posted a condolence
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
David Starnes remembered by Bob Rose 12/24/2014 The first time I met him I lied to him. It was Toni's and my first date and I got her home late, or should I say early...in the morning. The house was locked and Mr. Starnes came and opened the door. I introduced myself and apologized for it being so late, and said I had a flat tire on the way home. (The oldest and flimsiest excuse ever). I never saw much of him while Toni & I were dating in Vancouver, B.C. It seemed like he was always working a lot of overtime and always had a frown on his face. The only significant conversation we had was at a Sunday dinner when I told him that Toni & I wanted to get married. He said that if that is what Toni wanted, then it was alright with him. After he retired he became a gentler, kinder person. Years later he said that he regretted being such a stern grouch most of his life. He went on a weeklong sales trip with me to furniture factories in North Carolina. We got along fine even though after mid-way into the trip, he was telling me how to run my business. He helped, a great deal, on the restoration of the Victorian house in Lowell, MI. He came up with the idea to put on the wrap around front porch that became the single most impressive thing about that project. He lost a thumb nail working on that house and we framed it to honor his sacrifice. Spiritually he was very anti-Christian and when Davey was killed he was very angry at a God he didn't think existed. One time he stated, "What difference does it make whether you believe in Christ or not?" I replied, "Other than salvation (eternal life) how about a better more satisfying life?". He asked if there were any secular historians that mentioned Jesus Christ in their histories? I told him there were at least two that I knew of with Josephus being the prominent one. Another time he stated, "You know, you don't have to go to church to be a Christian!" I whole heartedly agreed with him. When I last saw him I said, "See you later." He said with a smile, "You might have to shout because I might be 'down below' ." He knew the Gospel (that a person had to accept Christ as their savior) because his mother took all her kids to Sunday school every Sunday. Recently he confessed to me that he had become "reluctant believer". At Davey's funeral he wanted me to quote Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 1There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven— 2A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. 3A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up. 4A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance. 5A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing. 6A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away. 7A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak. 8A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace. I now want to quote the most popular verse in the Bible as I say, "See you later David Starnes". John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
j
jessica rose-katerberg posted a condolence
Monday, December 29, 2014
I have so many fond memories of visiting my grandpa in D.C. Pa was a very proud man and loved history and showed me and my family the sites several times. I was able to spend time with Pa and Dolly at their place on the lake, which they poured their hearts and souls into and you could tell how much he loved it there. He always had a project to work on and I believe that kept him going strong for years. As he aged he took smaller steps, but his mind was still sharp and was always "thinking." His hugs were big and he had a gentle soul and southern charm that would make you laugh. He stayed until the love of his life was in good hands. I will always keep him in a special place in my heart. - Jessica Rose-Katerberg
C
Cecilia Bird posted a condolence
Monday, December 29, 2014
Dear Aunt Jackie, Toni, Liz, and family, We are so very sorry to hear of Uncle David's passing. Our heart goes out to all of you. He was a wonderful, strong, kind, loving man. He was always so sweet to me, especially when I called him to tell him of Mrs. Bird's passing. I wasn't around him as much as I would have liked to be, but it seemed as if he knew I appreciated his wisdom and guidance, especially that day. Aunt Jackie, I have always loved the two of you and have the utmost respect for you. It was very clear to all of us how much you loved each other. We know you will miss him dearly, but he would want you to be strong. I will pray that you will find the strength that he would wish for you. You are a dear sweet lady, and we are truly sorry that you have to endure this loss. We love you. With all our love, Cecilia, Chris and boys.
Adams-Green Funeral Home & Crematory
721 Elden Street | Herndon, VA 20170
P: (703) 437-1764 or (703) 471-4090 | E: bill@adamsgreen.com
