James L. Kirk

James Lowell Kirk, 82, husband of the late Joyce Carling Kirk of Las Vegas, NV, peacefully passed away early in the morning on Sunday, July 23, 2017.

James or Jim (but to his family, he went by his middle name Lowell) was born on February 6, 1935, in Salt Lake City, Utah, he was the son of the late Wallace Robert Kirk and Cora Eleanor Tomlinson Kirk.

James was the third of seven children. In early 1946, when he was eleven years old, his family sold their house in Salt Lake City and moved to Ely, Nevada. He spent most of his off time working to help the family. He spent most of his older years working with the sheep and ranches, which belonged to Dan Clark. He attended school at White Pine High School and graduated in 1953. After graduating, he went to work for Kennecott Copper in McGill, NV. When he was 19, James volunteered for the draft. He served for two years, in the Army, during the Korean War. He trained as a hospital corpsman and was stationed in a Germany hospital. James attended Brigham Young University (BYU) for two years, as a medical student. He decided he wanted to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He left in October of 1958 to serve two and a half years in the Swiss-Austrian mission. When he returned home, in April 1961, he noticed a tall pretty young lady, Joyce Carling. They were married on December 29, 1961 in the LDS Salt Lake Temple. Five children gradually joined the family, two sons and three daughters: Malcolm Glenn (1962), Michelle (1964), Monique (1967), Melissa (1970), and Michael James (1974). James and Joyce returned to BYU for two and a half years. James finished his degree in education. They went back to Ely in January of 1964. James worked again for Kennecott Copper in Ruth, NV. James couldn’t get a job teaching anywhere, eventually he did find a job teaching in Las Vegas, NV. They decided to go there for only a couple of years, but ended up staying there, until he retired from the Clark County School District thirty years later. They bought their first home in Las Vegas and moved into it in August of 1964. James began his teaching career at Hyde Park Junior High and then transferred to Gibson Junior High School. In 1970, James applied for a grant and was accepted at Ole Miss. They rented out their home in Vegas and moved to Oxford, Mississippi. Here he received his Masters degree. They returned to Vegas in June of 1971 and in 1972, James transferred to a brand new school, Eldorado High School, teaching biology and aviation science. He loved to fly. He even went to aviation school and received a license to fly an airplane. He has faithfully served in many callings in the LDS church. After his retirement, they were empty nesters, they moved to St. George, Utah for about ten years. They moved back to Nevada in October of 2004. They moved to Indian Springs, NV and built a log cabin there. In 2012, with the passing of Joyce (2010), James moved to an assisted living home in Las Vegas.

James is survived by his daughters Michelle and her husband Kevin McClary of Las Vegas, NV, Monique Peters of Las Vegas, NV, and Melissa and her husband Timothy Planck of Mesquite, NV; his son Michael and his wife Michelle of Las Vegas, NV; his 17 grandchildren, Lance Kirk, Bryce (Erin) Kirk, Chase Kirk, Pierce Kirk, Morgan (Mollee) McClary, Katelynd (Zackery) Hicks, Lauren McClary, Jonathan McClary, Sydney Peters, Nicholas Peters, Spencer (Shelby) Planck, Leslie Planck, Stuart Planck, Giulianne Kirk, Lindsea Kirk, Jordan Kirk, and Tyler Kirk; his 7 great-grandchildren Nash and Thea McClary; Adelaide, Ella, Riley, and Tanner Hicks; and Aria Olvera. James is preceded in death by his wife, Joyce; his son, Malcolm and his daughter-in-law Julie; his parents, Wallace and Cora; his grandson, Austin McClary; his brothers, Glenn, Lynn, and John; his sisters, Lois, Genele, and Dee Anne.

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