Dec.17, 1939 – Dec. 8, 2009
David was born on Vashon Island, the fourth of Donald
and Marjorie (Wood) Kirkland’s six children. He was
raised at the family home at Vashon Center, purchased in
1911 by his grandfather Burt Kirkland. The Kirkland kids
grew up with farm chores, and for pocket money, picked
strawberries on neighboring farms. After WWII the family moved to Kent for a few years,
where David scrapped with tough “city” boys and missed
his island home. He returned to graduate from Vashon High
School with the class of 1958. Classmates remember his
charm, and how he could make any girl feel graceful on the
dance floor.
While serving in the U.S. Coast Guard, David worked on
diesel engines and guarded the Point No Point lighthouse. He
supported himself in college with several jobs that rewarded
his talent working with his hands. He even worked as a
monorail attendant for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. David
earned his law degree from the University of Washington in
1965. He worked as an aide to Senator Hallauer in Olympia
and later as a contracts attorney for Battelle in Richland.
David met his wife-to-be, Kathy Novak, in a 1961 summer
session at UW. There he flirted in his fearless improvisational
Spanish. David and Kathy kept in touch, sometimes going
dancing when he was in town. David always liked to practice
his Spanish in Mexican restaurants. Restaurateur friends from
college days became compadres (godparents) to his first two
children. David and Kathy married in 1970 and divorced in
2004.
David worked in a Ballard law firm for 12 years and
made partner, but nights, weekends, and especially in the
summertime, he would head to the island. David enlisted
friends to help build a summer house of his own design near
the Judd Creek Bridge. He began his private practice and
moved the family to the island in 1984.
Being a country lawyer suited David. He proudly carried a
battered leather briefcase to court. To ensure he’d win, David
wore his chili pepper tie. He knew that when the law was on
his side, his well-dressed opposition didn’t stand a chance.
The best part of David’s final years as a lawyer was being with
his son Mike, who managed his office for six years.
David was an outdoorsman – nature lover, backhoe driver,
lumberjack and farmer. He cleared and landscaped his farm
on Maury with David Church, Jim Matsumoto, and other
good friends. After the Happy Garden restaurant burned down
and David appropriated its sign, the property became known
as Happy Garden Farm. The horse David won playing poker
lived on the farm, as did pigs, turkeys and chickens. He grew
dahlias, delphiniums, geraniums, corn, fava beans, pumpkins,
garlic, and berries, and he was generous with his produce.
He took great pleasure in sharing the fun of rural life with
visitors.
David loved people and was happy to have company
when cooking, tinkering, or doing crossword puzzles in
ink. He enjoyed celebrating island-style – fishing derbies
at the Sportsmen’s Club, neighborhood 4th of July parties,
Strawberry Festival, cider pressing, and raising flags for the
VFW. In retirement David traveled with friends. He tried his
hand as a vaquero in Mexico, and introduced himself as a
Real Cowboy in Vietnam.
David is survived by his children Marianne Kirkland,
Michael (Laura) Kirkland, Eileen Kirkland, Katie (Michael)
Matesky and their mother Kathy Novak Kirkland. Though he
didn’t quite live to see his first grandchild, he was elated at
the prospect of Katie and Michael’s daughter, due in March
2010. He was brother to Barbara Roberts, Malcolm (Jo Anne)
Kirkland, Donald Kirkland, Wendy (Roy) Wilkerson, and Ken
(Kathy) Kirkland. He was Uncle David to Duncan Roberts,
Deborah Kirkland, David (Liz) Kirkland, Daniel (Catherine)
Kirkland, Diane Wilkerson, Dan (Sara) Wilkerson, Brian
Wilkerson, Dennis Norton, Diana (Bruce) Wittenmyer, Kelly
(Matthew) Kirkland, Keith Kirkland and Ann (Matt) Dunn
Wessberg. Whether on a family camping trip or at the farm,
he loved to see his great nephews Zachary, Jordan, Brice,
Brennan and Andrew and his great nieces Kelsey, Natalie, Zoe,
Marilyn, Rose and Catherine. David was predeceased by his
parents, his brother Malcolm, and his nephew Dennis Norton.
A public gathering to celebrate David’s life will be held
at the Camp Burton Lodge on Saturday, December 19th
at 1:00 p.m. We invite you to share memories of David at
the memorial service or to send stories for the family to
rememberingdtk@gmail.com. His favorite local causes
were the Vashon Food Bank and the Vashon-Maury
Heritage Museum.
(Paid obituary)
