Rhonda G. Sirbaugh
1948-2026
Rhonda G. Sirbaugh, 77, of Berkeley Springs, W.Va., passed away on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
Born Rhonda Sue Goodman on November 16, 1948, in Berkeley Springs, she was the daughter of the late Ronald Goodman and Lucy Goodman.
She graduated from Berkeley Springs High School in 1966. She went on to West Virginia University in Morgantown, where she was a proud sister of Chi Omega and earned her bachelor’s degree in Interior Design in 1970. She later returned to WVU to earn her Master’s of Education in 1984.
On August 18, 1973, she married Fred H. Sirbaugh, her husband of 53 years.
Rhonda spent her career working with the children who needed her most. She began at Pikeside Learning Center in Berkeley County in 1972, serving students with special needs there for fourteen years. In 1986, she joined Morgan County Schools as a special education teacher, where she taught until her retirement in 2008. Even then she wasn’t quite finished — she continued assisting the district’s special education department with diagnostic testing until 2011, closing out nearly forty years of service to West Virginia students.
Those who knew Rhonda knew a woman who loved openly and without reservation. She was generous and welcoming, the kind of person who made anyone who walked through her door feel like family, and everyone who liked her came to love her. She had a way of making people feel comfortable, cared for, and genuinely welcome. Her home was a place where there was always room for one more, whether that meant another person at the table, another conversation at the basement bar, or—more often than not—another animal that had somehow found its way into her life.
Rhonda was strong, principled, and never once afraid to speak her mind. She knew what she believed, stood firmly by the people and things she cared about, and had little interest in pretending to be someone she wasn’t. She was honest, fiercely loyal, and wonderfully genuine. Beneath that strength was an enormous heart, and the people she loved knew without question just how deeply she loved them.
She was immensely proud of her children and treasured every chance to watch them play ball. She was there for the games, the milestones, the celebrations, and all the moments in between.
A devoted football fan, she followed her WVU Mountaineers with an enthusiasm the whole neighborhood could hear on game day. Whether they were winning or losing, Rhonda was invested—and everyone around her knew exactly how she felt about the latest play, referee call, or questionable coaching decision.
She was also a lifelong animal lover whose home was rarely without a few fuzzy strays who had wandered in off the street and simply never left. Rhonda never seemed able to turn away an animal that needed a home, and over the years, more than a few found exactly that with her. She cared for them with the same patience, tenderness, and unconditional love she gave to the people in her life.
Rhonda had a personality that was impossible to overlook and a heart that was impossible to forget. She loved deeply, laughed readily, spoke honestly, and gave of herself freely. She left an impression on the people she met, and for those fortunate enough to be loved by her, she leaves behind memories that will remain for the rest of their lives.
She is survived by her husband, Fred H. Sirbaugh, of Berkeley Springs; her daughter, Shea Sirbaugh; and her son, Seth Sirbaugh.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, Ronald “Buck” Goodman.
Rhonda has been cremated at her request. A celebration of her life may be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to your local animal shelter.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.helsleyjohnsonfh.com.
Arrangements are being handled by Helsley-Johnson Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 95 Union Street, Berkeley Springs, W.Va.
