William Barry D'Surney

William (Bill) Barry D'Surney

Surrounded by his family, William (Bill) Barry D'Surney passed away peacefully on December 11th at the age of 96. He was born on May 15, 1929 in Orange, New Jersey. Upon graduating in 1951 from Seton Hall University, he began his insurance career with Fireman's Insurance in Newark, NJ. There he met his future wife, Joanne Golembeski, beginning an adventure lasting 69 years, taking them to Baltimore and eventually Richmond. Bill served in the Navy Reserve during the Korean War as a gunner's mate on the USS Heyliger destroyer escort off the coast of New Jersey. He was proud of his record of no invasions of the Jersey Shore on his watch!

Bill came from a small family. However, he quickly learned what it was like to be part of a larger family entity when he married Joanne (aka "Muffin") and became a beloved member of her large Polish Catholic family. He delighted in family gatherings which were large and loud, and became a devoted fan of pierogis, kielbasa, kruschiki and golumpkis.

Bill enjoyed watching his beloved Baltimore Orioles. Even in his eighties, Bill would make his annual pilgrimages to Camden Yards for baseball, beer, and Phillips Crab House. Come fall, Bill would cheer for the Baltimore Ravens, Seton Hall Pirates, Notre Dame, and the various sports teams of the colleges that any family member attended.

Bill never missed his nightly Manhattan with Muffin. Cocktails were always accompanied by Lester Holt, Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy. His greatest loves were spending time with his family, and the beach. The beach was his Heaven

here on Earth, his happy place, where he was most content, especially when the house was overflowing with family. His love of the beach started while young, spending time at the Jersey Shore. He later transferred his affections to the Outer Banks, especially Duck and Corolla, the sites of our annual vacations.

Holiday celebrations were other cherished times, as they brought the whole family together and put a smile to his face. In later years, Sunday dinners were a highlight. Add an after-dinner cigar and a glass of Crown Royal out on the deck, then sit back and wait for one of his famous jokes!

Bill was a man of strong faith. So much so, that he was never without a rosary in his pocket. He loved his church and, in fact, he had two - St. Ann's for weekday mass and Our Lady of Lourdes where, since 1975, he and Muffin had the same seat in the same pew for 8:15 Sunday Mass. An active member of Lourdes, he was involved in the Finance Council, counting the Sunday collections, and the food pantry.

Waiting to greet Bill in Heaven are his parents Joseph and Florence D'Surney, his brother Jimmy D'Surney, and his nephew Stephen D'Surney. He is survived by his spouse of 69 years, Joanne; his children, Laurene Fugate (George), Chris (Kimberly), David (Gay), Liz Snead (Gary York), Ann Thompson (Andrew), Jennifer Emory (Nelson); nine grandchildren, and three great grandchildren, with two more on the way.

A funeral mass will take place on January 10th at 11:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Henrico. The family will receive friends from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. in the Commons Area of Our Lady of Lourdes Church. There will be a light reception after Mass in the Commons area. Interment will be private at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Bill's beloved Our Lady of Lourdes Church. www.ollrichva.org