John Albert Birkel Jr. Obituary
With profound sadness, we say goodbye to John Albert Birkel Jr. of Suffolk, Virginia, whose vibrant spirit touched the lives of many. John Albert left this world on September 28, 2025 at the age of 85, leaving a void in the lives of so many people. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of John Albert Birkel Jr. to show support.
He was predeceased by: his parents, John Birkel and Mary Birkel. He is survived by: his wife Velma J Birkel (Ryglewicz); his children, Stuart J. Birkel (Nathalie Cassis) and Laura J. Auler; his grandchildren, Elijah, Gage, Sophie, Emilie and Maxwell; and his siblings, Robert P. Birkel (Toni) and Rebecca Ganz. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
Viewing will be held on Thursday, October 2nd 2025 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Bennetts Creek Chapel (2690 Bridge Rd, Suffolk, VA 23435). A memorial service will be held on Friday, October 3rd 2025 at 11:00 AM at the Jolliff United Methodist Church (1900 Jolliff Rd, Chesapeake, VA 23321). A reception will be held on Wednesday, October 8th 2025 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Sturtevant Funeral Home, Bennetts Creek Chapel (2690 Bridge Rd, Suffolk, VA 23435).
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to ForKids, Inc https://fundraise.givesmart.com or Jolliff UMC https://www.jolliffumc.org . The family has chosen to send donations to ForKidsDonate Now (https://fundraise.givesmart.com).
