Virgil Orley Starkey

October 6, 1953 – March 10, 2026

Virgil O. Starkey of Arizona passed away on March 10, 2026, at the age of 72.

Virgil was not a simple man, and he didn’t live a simple life. He served as a foster father for many years, taking in kids and providing a home, structure, and stability when it was needed most. He believed in discipline, responsibility, and doing things the hard way if that’s what it took.

To some, he was difficult. He could be strict to a fault, and at times his way of leading crossed lines that left a lasting impact. That is part of his story, and it is not ignored. But that wasn’t all of him.

Virgil had a sharp, curious mind and could talk for hours about history, conspiracies, aliens, or anything that caught his interest. He was a thinker, someone who questioned things and didn’t just accept the surface-level answer. He enjoyed the simple things too, gaming, watching TV, fishing, spending time around guns, and getting out for paintball trips that created memories that still stick.

There were moments, especially away from pressure and expectation, where a different side of him showed. He could be funny, laid back, and even kind in a way that wasn’t always obvious. Those moments mattered.

He believed in working hard, figuring things out yourself, and building what you needed with your own hands. He pushed those ideas onto the people around him, sometimes in ways that were hard, but lessons that stayed.

Virgil leaves behind a complicated legacy, one that includes both weight and impact. He will be remembered not for being perfect, but for being real, and for the role he played in shaping the lives of those who knew him.

Virgil is survived by his daughter, Debra Palacios; and his sons, Donald Beamon-Starkey, Michael Starkey, and Augustine Starkey, along with other family members and those whose lives he impacted.