Richard John Kirkwood Jr

On February 3rd, 2016, at 52 years old, a very special, strong, funny, and very caring man passed away in his home in Elberta, AL . Richard Kirkwood, is survived by his wife, Patricia, daughter, Jennifer, son, Corey, niece, Sharon Holston, and brother, Jeffrey Kirkwood. Dad not only loved his wife and children deeply, he loved all his family and friends. Dad felt that a stranger was a friend he had not met yet, and loved to talk to anyone he came into contact with... anytime, anywhere. If you were in trouble, he was there to help. Other than loving his family so much, Dad loved his boat and football. He was an extreme New England Patriots Fan and was overjoyed when they won the Superbowl last year. We all got to pour champagne and celebrate and had so much fun. He was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts and then moved to South Florida where he enjoyed the sun, and beach and met his gorgeous wife Patricia. From there they had their first daughter, Jennifer and spoiled her rotten. They had a very successful landscaping business and it sure kept them fit in that hot South Florida sunshine! They moved to North Georgia seven years later and were blessed with a healthy baby boy, Corey. He was so smart just like his father and they enjoyed watching the History Channel together (instead of cartoons, go figure!). Richard managed a very successful Golf and Ski Resort in Sky Valley, Georgia with his wife Patricia. He loved to be busy and could do any job in the restaurant business. After that Richard and Patricia opened up their own restaurant which they named Kirkwoods Deli. It was successful with them serving their fresh homemade cuisine, but after close family members passed away, they decided to get back to the beach they loved so dearly. In 2003, Dad packed up the family, dog, cats, and horses and moved to Foley, Alabama where they found their slice of paradise on the water. It was named "The Kirkwood Ranch" because it had everything the Kirkwoods wanted and full of so much life and energy. Not only did they have the dogs, cats, and horses, they added chickens, ducks, birds, etc to give more joy to their life. Sadly the Oil Spill affected our area in 2010, and Dad jumped in to help (again) to restore our beaches back to be beautiful and inviting again for everyone to enjoy. After working so closely to all those hazardous chemicals he was diagnosed with throat cancer. Dad was a fighter and went through radiation with a smile on his face. Unfortunately, it came back two years and he had to undergo a very intensive surgery that left him with a permanent stoma. He was so strong and we were all so proud of him and how he taught himself how to care for it. He loved going over to Baptist Hospital and teaching new patients how to care for their new stomas so he could teach them tips and tricks on how to better communicate with it. He helped a father talk to his daughter for the first time and the smile he created made him the happiest person on Earth. Our family would like to thank all of dads doctors for their care and compassion throughout everything he went through the last few years. The compassion the doctors, nurses, and receptionists gave him helped him get through it as best he could, and he always had such great things to say about each and every one of them. As dad requested, after cremation, our family will hold a private memorial where we will be scattering his ashes in the water where he always loved to be anytime of day. All thoughts and prayers for dad and our family are greatly appreciated. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Richard Kirkwood please visit our Sympathy Store. If you have any questions, you can reach his wife Patricia Kirkwood at 251-228-1556 or 24752 Pine Street Elberta, AL 36530.

Richard John Kirkwood Jr

June 18, 1963 - February 3, 2016

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Richard John Kirkwood Jr

June 18, 1963 - February 3, 2016

What We Do

Flowers & Gifts

Plan Ahead

About Us

Resources

Obituaries

Grief & Healing

Contact Information

Obituary Notification