Captain Ronald Anton Erchul, 73, of Rockbridge County, Virginia, was called home to be with his Lord on Saturday, October 8, 2011.

Captain Erchul taught geology and civil engineering at the Virginia Military Institute for 27 years, following 20 years of active duty in the United States Navy.

He retired from Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in 2008 and pursued his love of farming on his land along South Buffalo Creek.

He is survived by his wife, Beverly A. Erchul; and one daughter, Maria B. Erchul, of Fairfax County, Va.

He was preceded in death by one daughter, Deborah A. Erchul; and by his parents, Anton and Agnes Erchul.

He grew up in West Allis, Wisconsin. A 1961 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Erchul earned his Master's degree from the Naval Post-Graduate School and his Ph.D. from the University of Rhode Island in ocean engineering.

While on active duty in the U.S. Navy, 1961 to 1981, he served as a ship driver, a construction scuba diver, an executive officer, and an operations officer. His last tour of duty was at the U.S. Naval Academy where he taught ocean engineering. While a Midshipman at the Naval Academy, he was the starting right tackle on the 1960 football team that finished 4th in the land and earned a berth in the 1961 Orange Bowl.

Erchul was recognized as an important environmental leader in Virginia. In 1990, he founded the Environment Virginia Symposium, an annual state wide event which continues to attract over 700 professionals representing diverse interests to VMI each April. He is an editor of Essays on Leadership in Environmental Management, with Marilyn R.D. Maisano, and H. Francis Bush, Lexington: Virginia Military Institute, 2004. He was responsible for creating a Minor at VMI in Environmental Leadership and Management, which was first awarded in May 1997. He was the recipient of VMI's Matthew Fontaine Maury Research Award in 1990 and again in 2006.

The Captain Ronald A. Erchul, Emeritus Professor, Environmental Leadership Award annually recognizes a Virginian who has made significant individual efforts to better the environment. Recent recipients of the award include, Ann Jennings, executive director, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Virginia Chapter; and Ward Burton, former NASCAR driver and founder of the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation. The award is coordinated by the VMI Center for Leadership and Ethics at the Environment Virginia Symposium.

Funeral arrangements are being made by Botetourt Funeral Home. A service will be held at Rapps Mill Church on Saturday, October 22, 2011, with a viewing at 1 p.m. with the service to follow at 2 p.m. The family would like to express its appreciation to friends and colleagues at VMI, family members in Illinois, Minnesota, California, and Arizona, and to Mr. and Mrs. James and Shelly Hall, of Lexington, Va. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to interdenominational Rapps Mill Church, 3255 S. Buffalo Road, Lexington, VA 24450, Fairfax County, Va., www.botetourtfuneralhome.com