Ian Anthony Birdsall

Ian Anthony Birdsall (65), of Christiansburg, passed away at home on Sunday, October 30, 2016. He was born on November 12, 1950 in Raleigh, NC. He was preceded in death by his father John Wilbur Birdsall and his mother Barbara Bolding Birdsall. Survivors include his much loving and caring wife, Dixie, two daughters, Heather (Jason) and Caroline, by a previous marriage; and step-daughter and her husband, Havalynn Smith and Doug Smith.

Ian held a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Policy from Virginia Tech; an MS in Management Science from the State University of New York; and a BS in Industrial Management from Georgia Tech. He was an outstanding graduate of the National Defense University, and a graduate of the Defense Systems Management College, the Royal Air Force Staff College, the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and the U. S. Air Force Command and Staff College.

A 22-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Dr. Birdsall provided leadership at many levels in the Dept. of Defense. These ranged from (a) preparing combat ready units to (b) serving as an “ambassador” to the British Royal Air Force. Also, at one time he was a squadron commander.

Perhaps most important, however, he was appointed as a Project Manager, serving in the Pentagon and overseeing the highest rated project at the time. It was a Pentagon-wide activity to improve the coordination and overall effectiveness of logistics operations within and between all units of the military. The process brought about the consolidation of over 700 data bases and a communications system that eventually could identify the location of almost any person and any goods within 15 minutes.

After his stint in the Air Force, he worked as a Senior Consultant for LMI (a.k.a. the “Logistics Management Institute”). At the time of his passing he was teaching in the Public Administration and Policy Programs at Virginia Tech and the at the internationally well-known on-line Walden University. He had published several articles and was a co-author of a book on Supernumerary Intelligence.

On the personal side. He was intelligent, outgoing, jovial, agreeable, and personable. He had lots of stories to tell about adventures around the world. He and his wife Dixie did not have all the luck in the world, however (their house on the Gulf of Mexico was washed away by Hurricane Katrina, and their next house in Georgia burned to the ground). But they weathered these with some humor.

The family will receive friends from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, November 5, 2016 at Horne Funeral Home in Christiansburg, VA. Funeral services will begin at 4:00 PM, with Rev. David Rhudy of Faith Christian Church.