John Richard Starling, loving husband, father and friend, passed away peacefully at home
March 10, 2025 after a year-long battle with cancer. He is remembered for his infectious smile,
amazing hugs, and life-long effort to “be nice and take care of other people.”
Born December 8, 1942 to Ruth and James Starling in Hartford, CT, he would soon after move
to the place his spirit would call home the remainder of his life, the Colley Farm in Chase City,
VA. He experienced what most would call incredibly challenging conditions in his early life. He
was raised by a single mother who travelled the region as a nurse, lived at one point in a cabin
with a dirt floor, and faced limited opportunities outside of farming, the dominant source of
income in the area at the time. These challenges were no match for his indomitable spirit, the
guidance and incredible wisdom of his mother, and the influence of numerous men from around
the area with last names of Cox, Whitten, Colley and Crowder, among many others.
John was a good student, friend and hard worker, attending class, playing trombone in the band
in high school, and working in the tobacco fields and as a school bus driver later in his teen
years. He was taught how to learn by his mother, the men on the farm and others in the
community. His participation in the Royal Ambassadors and guidance on the farm taught him
both practical skills and a love of the outdoors. Of all that he learned, exposure to electronics by
his uncle turned out to be key to his future.
Upon graduating from Park View High School in 1961, he joined the US Navy, serving 5 years
and traveling the world. When asked why he chose the Navy, he shared that one day while in
South Hill, the bus pulled in and a group of sailors climbed out. He was impressed with the way
they carried themselves and their uniforms and that was enough for him. The battery of Navy
skills testing showed an excellent aptitude for electronics and math, so he became a flight radio
operator for a C-130 crew. He was stationed around the world, including Memphis, TN, San
Diego, CA, Morocco, Spain and Italy – quite a change from the slower pace of life in
Mecklenburg County! He loved the experience, training and travel – but was especially grateful
for the time in Spain, where he met the love of his life, Carol.
After he left the Navy, he moved to Upstate NY working for both GE and AT&T, and then
eventually Univac. He soon proposed to Carol, who had since moved to Toronto and was living
with her family. On September 7, 1968, they were married and would remain so for 56+ years
until his passing.
Along the way, he continued his passion for learning about electronics and computers, and
together with Carol they began to raise a family. In 1969 their first son, Eric, was born, and John
accepted a job with Sperry Univac, relocating soon after to the DC area, a hotspot for
computers and technological advancement. In 1977, their second son, Mark, was born, and
they moved from Alexandria to Woodbridge, VA. As career and learning opportunities continued,
he and Carol decided that DC was not the place for them anymore, so they took a chance on a
new opportunity in Florida.
John spent 32 years with one iteration or another of Sperry Univac (now Unisys) working in
places as diverse as a major Florida hardware chain, Walt Disney World, and NASA, supporting
the advanced technology that continued to roll out every year. In 2000, he took an early
retirement package, and soon landed at Florida Southern College as a network administrator,
his final job before retirement in 2012 – unless you include the computer support he continued to
offer all of us across the country!

In 2013 he and Carol sold their home in Florida and retired to the Colley Farm. Soon after, they
built a new home and set about making it their own. John loved gardening and sharing wisdom
and tips, he loved his church, his family, and his Lord and Savior Jesus, and he always loved
people.
His hugs, his laugh, and his willingness to help anyone at any time will all be fondly
remembered by the thousands of people he came across in his lifetime.
John is survived by his wife, Carol, son Eric (wife Lisa), son Mark (wife Brandee), grandchildren
Emily, Jackson, Neva, Gavin, Claire, Liam and Eli, and his sister, Betsy Andrews. John’s memorial service will be held April 5, 2025
at 11:00am at Mt. Horeb Baptist Church, 10077 Old Cox Rd. Chase City, Va.  Internment will follow at the Colley Farm
Cemetery with military honors provided by American Legion Post # 79. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in John’s name to
Tunnels to Towers, https://t2t.org/donate/ or Tunnel to Towers Foundation, 2361 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10306. Wood Funeral Service is serving the family.