Wendell Lloyd Kirk

Wendell Lloyd Kirk of Putnam, North Carolina, departed this life peacefully at the age of 82, following a long illness. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence and Mima Kirk of Ferrellsburg, West Virginia, and his brother Michael Lawrence Kirk, of Harts, West Virginia.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 62 years, Garnetta Iris Kirk, his brother and sister-in-law, Randall and Elaine Kirk of Ferrellsburg, West Virginia, his sister Carol Spry of Sanford North Carolina, his daughter Angela Rose Kirk, his son Lloyd Allen Kirk, along with his grandchildren Meghan Kinley (& Sterling Kinley), Adriana Abella (& Robert Ebert), Chloe Rodriguez-Mandujano (& Marco Rodriguez-Mandujano), Claudia Abella, Laura Freeman (& Brian Freeman), and Cristian Kirk Abella. Wendell was blessed with five great-grandchildren, Sterling Isaac and Lilly Coraline Kinley, Kyren Christopher Ebert, Brian Joseph and Delilah Cristina Freeman. 

Born in Red Jacket, West Virginia two weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Wendell grew up in the coal fields of southern West Virginia.  After graduating from Harts High School, Wendell attended and graduated from DeVry Technical Institute in Chicago Illinois, with an associate degree in electronics technology.  After working in the communication and navigation repair field for tow-boats on the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, he later worked for many years in the mining industry. In 1987, Wendell moved his family to their adopted home state of North Carolina where he worked as an electro-mechanical technician for multiple manufacturing firms in Moore, Chatham, Lee, and Wake Counties, until retiring in 2013.

Wendell was a long-time member of Needham’s Grove Baptist Church, working with the church sound system, and was an active member of the Senior Saints group. Wendell enjoyed spending time with his family, focusing on engaging the grand kids with home-made educational projects, “tinkering” with electronic experiments, and building his “contraptions” to amuse himself and his friends and family.

Funeral service will be 2 Pm, Thursday, January 25, 2024 at Needham’s Grove Baptist Church, with Pastor D J Harry officiating.  Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 PM, Wednesday, January 24, 2024 at Kennedy Funeral Home and at other times at the home.

Condolence on line at pinesfunerals.com