Thomas Edward Zinn II passed away peacefully on January 21, 2023, in Winchester, VA, after a long battle with Merkel cell carcinoma. Friends and family surrounded him.
Thomas Edward Zinn II
Tom was born on December 8, 1960, at Lakehurst Naval Air Base in Lakehurst, New Jersey. He attended Warren County High School, where he excelled in football and tennis. Tom formed the garage band Stratus while in high school, where he enjoyed playing drums and guitar with his best friend. During that time, he served his community and grew in his faith by participating in youth groups at Riverton United Methodist Church in Front Royal and New Direction in Rappahannock County.
After high school, Tom enlisted in the Air Force and was stationed in Zaragoza, Spain. While there, he made numerous lifelong friends, played drums at his local church (where he was known as “the barefoot drummer”), and became nearly fluent in Spanish. Tom began taking flying lessons while serving overseas to fulfill his dream of becoming a pilot.
After his duty with the Air Force, Tom attended George Mason University, where he majored in Spanish and was active in the George Mason Christian Fellowship. Inspired to serve the Lord, Tom used his piloting skills for air ambulance missions work with Mission Aviation Fellowship, flying between villages throughout Central America. With his exceptional technical skills and passion for communication, Tom regularly connected with friends and family in the States using ham radio.
To be closer to home, Tom moved his young family from the mission field back to the Fairfax, VA area, where he worked for various companies as a technical writer and network engineer. While advancing in his IT career, Tom used his fluency in Spanish and his love of Latin culture to live and work in Panama. There, he helped create safer communities through the innovative technology startup ShotSpotter.
Returning to Northern Virginia, Tom secured a job with AT&T and became Lead Sales Systems Engineer. Although a talented network engineer, Tom’s true passion was aviation. Tom was a private flight instructor, taught flying at Randolph-Macon Academy in Front Royal, and was a Pilot Mentor for middle and high school students for the STEM Flights flying program in Winchester, VA. He was a man of endless hobbies, including motorcycling (a Christian Motorcyclists Association member), amateur radio, boating, camping, guitar, piano, and drums. Tom’s novel, The Big Ten, was published and released on Amazon only two days before his passing. He was a devoted Christian who loved Jesus and served others. He was an active member of Restoration Fellowship Church in Strasburg, VA.
Tom is survived by his mother, Lynda Turner; sister Tanya Zinn Jones and husband Warren; wife of three years, Elma Aracely Martinez Zinn; nephew Jonathan Garland; nieces, Christen and Kathryn Garland; stepbrothers, Tildon Turner and wife Gioia, and Wayne Turner and wife Anne. Tom’s children from a previous marriage include daughters Katelyn Marie Zinn, Monica Zinn, Megan Zinn Rose (and her husband Brian), and son Kyle Zinn; Tom had one grandchild, Wallace Rose; Tom is predeceased by his father, Thomas Edward Zinn and his daughter Katelyn Marie Zinn.
The family will receive visitors at Restoration Fellowship Church in Strasburg, VA, on Sunday, January 29, between the hours of 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm. The funeral will be held at Restoration Fellowship Church on Monday, January 30, with visitation beginning at 10:00 am and service beginning at 11:00 am. Internment will follow at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Front Royal.
The family encourages those interested to make donations to the STEM Flights program (stemflights.org) at Winchester Regional Airport, where Tom was active as a Pilot Mentor.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at a later date.
