Col. "Kirk" Kirkpatrick (USAF, Ret.)

July 22, 1922 - February 04, 2016

Col. "Kirk" Kirkpatrick (USAF, Ret.) Obituary (Age 93) Surrounded by his family when he joined his wife Maureen in Heaven on February 4, 2016 in Spokane, Washington. Kirk was born July 22, 1922 on his grandfather?s farm between Bethel Springs and Finger, Tennessee. He was the only child of Elic Hardy and Parlee Kirkpatrick and moved with them at age 3 to Selmer, Tennessee where he grew up in a great depression era small town. Kirk graduated from high school at age 16 and attended the University of Tennessee Junior College at Martin. As a young man kirk became fascinated with aviation and wanted to be a pilot after he and a friend took a ride with a ?barnstormer? during a county fair. In 1942 his dream became reality when he was accepted to the Aviation Cadet Program of the Army Air Corp. (There was no Air Force at this time). During this training a friend set him up on a blind date with a beautiful southern girl from Star City, Arkansas who had moved to Memphis and taken a job at the Peabody Hotel. He was smitten with Maureen Martin from this first date and so began a 68 year love affair that included 64 years of married life. After graduation Kirk began a highlight of his aviation career when he spent 18 months in China as part of Gen. Chenault?s Flying Tigers and the 23rd Fighter Group. In 1946 at the end of WWII Kirk and Maureen married and Kirk voluntarily left the service to try the car business in Virginia. While there he was in the first group recalled for active duty in the Korean War and was part of the first class of pilots in the newly-created U.S. Air Force. This was the start of a distinguished military career that took him to several posts in the United States and to South America where Kirk served as Air Force Attach? in the U.S. Embassies in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay. Following these Kirk was assigned to Vietnam but that assignment changed when the U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela, who knew both of the Kirkpatricks from Montevideo requested Kirk for his Defense Attach? and Maureen as travel companion for his wife. Team Kirkpatrick was off to Caracas. Kirk finished his Air Force career at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. where he served as Chief of Air Force Foreign Liaison in the office of the Chief of Staff, responsible for every foreign officer in the states from 125 countries. He retired as a Colonel in 1976 and joined Boeing Aerospace in their International Sales Department. This took the Kirkpatricks to Bellevue, Washington, Washington D.C. for three years and back to Bellevue for the remainder of his 18 years with Boeing. Later in 2000 the Kirkpatricks moved to Spokane to be closer to family. During their retirement years Kirk and Maureen enjoyed traveling abroad and visiting friends and family in the states. They both enjoyed golf, bridge, their poodle Charbon and attending their grandnieces? soccer games. Kirk remained in touch with his Flying Tiger comrades and attended nearly all of their annual squadron reunions. He was honored in 2013 to be invited on the Honor Flight that flies World War II veterans who have not seen the WWII memorial in Washington, D.C. to see it. This was quite an experience for both Kirk and his niece and goddaughter Melinda Kenney who accompanied him. In 2012 Kirk was honored at the Air Force Association Convention as one of five fighter pilots from WWII to receive their Lifetime Achievement Award. When Kirk married Maureen, he immediately acquired five sisters-in-law, their husbands and children and was very close to all of them. He evolved into the patriarch of the family and enjoyed what he laughingly referred to as ?driving the Daisies (Maureen and her sisters?) to events and family functions. He particularly enjoyed hunting, fishing and pranking with his brothers-in-law. Many of these escapades are no doubt being retold in Heaven today if the Good Lord allows such talk! Family and friends will no doubt enjoy them as well as Kirk?s life is remembered and celebrated. Kirk liked a good Scotch, a good cup of coffee, a good cigar, a good hunting trip and especially a good story ? all the better when shared with friends and family. He was blessed with this extended family that loved and honored him. He will be missed, but he leaves a legacy of service to his country and love for his family and fellow man. Godspeed, Uncle Kirk. Kirk was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 64 years Maureen; 3 sisters-in-law and their husbands Mellie (John) Clary, Odessa (Classiford) Muckelroy, Juanita (Burl) Brockman; 2 brothers-in-law William Whitehead and Merl Smock and a nephew Billy Charles Clary. He is survived by sisters-in-law Frances Whitehead Smock and Kientzene Felice, both of Spokane, WA; nieces Deborah Brockman Beard of Little Rock, AR, Cassie Gifford (Lonnie), Roxie Palmer (Steve), Melinda Kenney (Pat), all of Spokane, WA; nephews John Lewis Clary (Sugar) of Shreveport, LA and Ken Whitehead (Denise) of Pinole, CA; 2 goddaughters Melinda Kenney (Pat) of Spokane, WA and Cathy Morrison of Sattellite Beach, FL; plus an address book of other nieces, nephews and friends. Kirk?s life will be celebrated with full military honors at 11AM on February 19, 2016 at Heritage Funeral Home Chapel, 508 N. Government Way, Spokane, WA with burial immediately following at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Memorials ma