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James Robert Kirby
( May 12, 1949 - September 30, 2018 )
James Robert Kirby Sr. of Lincolnton, husband, father, proud Marine and animal lover, passed away peacefully at home on September 30 after a short illness, surrounded by his family.

He was born on May 12, 1949, in Cincinnati, Ohio to Kenneth and Mildred Kirby.As a Marine, he rose to the rank of lance corporal, serving in Vietnam as an engineer equipment operator. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnamese Service Medal and Vietnamese Campaign Medal.

For 28 years, he had worked for the Ethan Allen company. He also had a passion for music and served as a sound engineer for local bands.

In his retirement, he found purpose and joy as an active volunteer for Helping Animals to Survive (HATS), for which he provided as a foster home for animals until they could be adopted. He also enjoyed fishing the waters of Lake Norman from his boat with family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth and Mildred; his brother, William Kirby, and his sister, Catherine Kirby.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Denise Shogran Kirby; two daughters, Wendy (Kristopher) Olson of Beverly, Massachusetts, and Elizabeth (David) Kirby Lail of Connelly Springs, North Carolina; a son, James R. Kirby Jr. of Lincolnton, and his wife; two grandsons, Maxwell Olson and Jonathan Kirby; a brother, Jerry (Deborah) Kirby of Hollywood, Florida; and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at Warlick Funeral Home, 125 Dave Warlick Drive, Lincolnton, at 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 5. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend.  Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to HATS (hatsalive.org) or Catawba Regional Hospice (catawbaregionalhospice.org).

Posted on 02 Oct 2018


 

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