Yesterday, around 6:10pm, Allen M. Starrett, Jr. died at Rappahanock General Hospital in Kilmarnock, VA. Mom Mom (Shirl) tried to wake him for dinner on Saturday around 5pm and he would not wake up. He was breathing and had a faint pulse. She called 911 and he was taken to the hospital. He never regained consciousness. Apparently he had an infection and his body had no reserve to fight it. He had finished chemotherapy on Monday, May 24th.
Chris went to be with his mother and brother on Saturday evening. He stayed with Mom Mom overnight and went back to the hospital with her the next morning. He came home around 4pm yesterday and his brother, Allen, was going to stay with Mom Mom overnight. Chris was exhausted and emotional when he got home. He needed to rest but want to see his children so we, along with our friends, the Suydams, took the children to Ashland to watch trains and enjoy the Randolph Macon College campus. We were watching trains when Pop Pop died. Allen called Chris on our way back home from Ashland.
I have never known a man that loved trains more than Pop Pop. Ian now loves trains and Pop Pop really enjoyed that. He kept a copy of Ian's first Christmas photo on his table next to "his chair" in his living room. It's a photo of Ian and the train Pop Pop gave him to put around our Christmas tree.
Pop Pop was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He was a police officer, volunteer firefighter, soldier that served in Korea, fisherman, race car fan, and a lover of trains. He was so proud of Chris and loved Ian and Ruby so much. He will be missed.
