Donald Yorke

Donald "Joe" Yorke BIG STONE GAP, Va. Donald "Joe" Yorke, 66, passed away Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, at his home after a courageous battle with cancer. He was a member of the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints, U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War, enlisted in 1962 at Fort Knox for his basic, Fort Benning for jump school, Fort Bragg with the 82nd Air Borne Division and Fort Benning with the 187th infantry and volunteered for 11th Air Assault and came out of service in February 1965 and was a coal miner for over 35 years working for Westmoreland Coal Co. and Clinchfield Coal Co. He was preceded in death by his parents, William V. "Bill" Yorke and Millie Yorke; a brother, James "Jim" Yorke; two sisters, Patricia "Pat" Yercheck and Norma Wiseman. Surviving are his wife of 35 years, Gladys Yorke; daughter, Brenda Sturgill and husband Terry; son, Dennis "Denny" Gardner and wife Monika; grandsons, Michael "Shane" Sturgill and wife Natisha and Terry "Brandon" Sturgill, all of Big Stone Gap; granddaughters, Sheila "Tara Beth" Sturgill of Charleston, S.C., Rachel Gardner of Virginia Beach, Va., Kayla Zinkan and husband Josh of Clarksville, Tenn.,and Hannah Gardner of Bristol Tennessee; great-grandchildren, Taylor Sturgill of Big Stone Gap, Alexis Cruze of Virginia Beach, Va., and Joshua Zinkan of Clarksville, Tenn.; three brothers, Fred Yorke and wife Yvonne of Castlewood, Va., John Yorke and wife Debbie of Wise, Va. and Bill Yorke and wife Margaret of New Paris, Ohio; three sisters, Karen Jordan and husband Mike of Wise, Anita Thacker and husband Terry of Blacksburg, Va., and Audrey Higgins and husband Don of Brownsburg, Ind.; and a host of other relatives and friends. Funeral services for Donald "Joe" Yorke will be conducted at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010, at the Sturgill Funeral Home Chapel in Wise, with Bishop Gary Wood and Elder Bill Moss officiating. The family will receive friends from 5 p.m. till time of services at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Sturgill Funeral Home in Wise. Burial and graveside committal services with military rites being conducted by the Local VFW members and Virginia National Guard will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 7, 2010, in the Powell Valley Memorial Gardens, Big Stone Gap, Va. Family and friends will meet at 10:10 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home to go to the cemetery in procession. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Wellmont Hospice, 280 Steele's Road, Bristol, TN 37620, 1-800-844-4070. Sturgill Funeral Home, 1621 Norton Road SW, Wise, VA 24293, is in charge of arrangements.