Robert Kirk Obituary

Dr. Robert Frank Kirk MT. PLEASANT - Dr. Robert Frank Kirk, 80, husband of Sally Carney Kirk of Mt. Pleasant, SC passed away on Monday, October 26, 2009 surrounded by his loving family. The relatives and friends of Dr. Robert Kirk are invited to attend his Memorial Service on Sunday, November 1, 2009 in J. HENRY STUHR, MOUNT PLEASANT CHAPEL at 2:00 p.m. Inurnment will follow in Mount Pleasant Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends at the Mount Pleasant Chapel on Friday, October 30, 2009 from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. Dr. Kirk was born January 2, 1929 in Memphis, Tennessee, son of the late Harry Banks Kirk and Lucille Bunch Kirk. He graduated from Central High School and completed a pre-medical school curriculum at Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College). Dr. Kirk subsequently went on to graduate from the University of Tennessee, School of Medicine at age 23. He served in the United States Navy for 20 years as a Captain and practicing physician. He and his family were stationed in Oakland, CA, Bremerton, WA, Portsmouth, VA, Argentia, Newfoundland, Jacksonville, FL and Philadelphia, PA before moving to Mount Pleasant in 1973. Dr. Kirk began a 25 year career practicing and teaching in the OB/GYN Department of the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. While teaching at MUSC, Dr. Kirk earned the respect of colleagues and became a favorite of residents under his tutelage. Having grown up as the son of a tree farmer who developed land and timber interests in northern Mississippi, Dr. Kirk enjoyed longstanding friendships with many in the New Albany and Blue Springs areas. An avid outdoorsman, Dr. Kirk was an enthusiast of many sports and perhaps is best known for his interest in running which led him to become one of the founding members of the group that organized the first Cooper River Bridge Run. He was a member of the Alpha Omega Medical Society, OB/GYN Medical Society, Thegos Society, Executive Board member of the Bridge Run and First Baptist Church of Haddonfield, New Jersey. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Sally Carney Kirk of Mt. Pleasant, SC; three children, Harry Robert Kirk, Peggy Kirk Courtney and her husband, Lawrence and Rachael Kirk of all of Mt. Pleasant, SC; one sister, Martha Kirk Johnson of Kennesaw, GA; nine grandchildren, Michael McClain Kirk, Seth Cody Kirk and Paige Lauren Kirk, all of Louisville, KY, Dimitri Kirk-Gordon of Atlanta, GA, Warren Kirk Fowler, Chapman Lee Fowler, Sean Banks Fowler, Richard Blake Fowler and William Dalton Courtney all of Mt. Pleasant, SC. He was preceded in death by a son, James Michael Kirk. In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorials be made to First Baptist Church of Mt. Pleasant, "Building Fund", 681 McCants Drive, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464 or Lutheran Hospice, 900 Johnnie Dodds Blvd., Suite 200, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464. A memorial message may be written to the family by visiting our website at www.jhenrystuhr.com. Visit our guestbook at www.postandcourier.com/deaths