Kenneth L. Kirk

Kenneth (Ken) L. Kirk, Jr. 73 of Green Bay, Wisconsin for the past forty-seven years, and formerly of Rhode Island, passed away February 10, 2023 surrounded by his devoted wife and sisters from a long battle with Pancreatic Cancer.

Ken was born in Providence, Rhode Island to the late Kenneth L., Sr., and Marie V. (Arbolino) Kirk. He graduated from Cranston High School, Rhode Island in 1967 and in 1968 enlisted in the Air National Guard of Rhode Island, a reserve of the Air Force, as an Aircraft Maintenance Technician with an honorable discharge in 1974. He married Doris (Mailloux) in 1973.

After graduating from Rhode Island's Cranston High School, Ken continued to work for Amtrol, Inc. (manufacturing an array of water system solutions for storage, treatment, heating, expansion and flow control serving the residential and industrial markets) as an inside sales representative for several years. In 1976 Ken was offered a position as an outside sales representative in the plumbing industry for North Central Sales Wisconsin territory. In 1985 Ken, along with his wife, developed a business plan and formed Kirk & Associates, a manufacturers' representative agency in the plumbing industry, with a territory covering two-thirds of Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. One major manufacturer he represented was Delta Faucet Company and was so successful that he became known as "The Delta Guy".
Ken also taught continuing education classes for plumbers covering faucet repair and the history of faucets at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Green Bay Campus. He was a true advocate for the trade schools and vocational-technical colleges.
After retiring in 2006, Ken found himself needing to do something more, he was hired part-time within the Facilities Department for the Green Bay Packers until his health dictated leaving the organization after 15 months in 2016. He missed the facilities team daily.

As a young man in Rhode Island, he was an avid boater and water skiing filled up his free time in the summer and snow skiing in the winter. After moving to Wisconsin, snowmobiling became his number one winter sport. He always looked forward to his yearly snowmobile trips with a group of "Tiger Hunters" and an amazing week's trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming snowmobiling the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park which he never forgot. Summers were spent boating the bay of Green Bay, the Fox River and crossing Lake Michigan to enjoy the beautiful ports of Michigan with friends. Ken and Doris purchased a home on a lake in Eagle River WI in order to snowmobile from their front door and enjoy inland boating with friends.

Ken had been introduced to stock car racing as a small boy by Sonny Koszela (Koszela Lumber, Coventry, RI). Sonny owned a race car "the Woodchopper Special" and took Ken to the Daytona races yearly. He raced his own VW from 1971 to 1974 as a hobby with good friends. After moving to Wisconsin, the bug bit and Ken was back involved in racing: NASCAR, ASA, local tracks near and far. It was a sport he had a passion for.

Ken was survived by his wife Doris, two sisters Pat (Kirk) Durigan of Narragansett, RI, and Marti (Kirk) Coyne of Saunderstown, RI; sisters-in-law Diane Kirk of Port Orange, FL. and Dee Mailloux of East Earl, PA.

Nieces and Nephews Sheri (Paddy) O'Neill, David (Molly) Durigan, Kelli (Tommy) Oswald, Ryan (Kayla) Kirk, Christina, Andrew and Geoffrey Coyne. Michael (Lisa) Mailloux, Lori (Guy) Kirk, Michelle (Jason) Cole and Donald (Catherine) Mailloux.

Grand Nephews and Nieces Hannah and Grace O'Neill, Dillon and Matthew Durigan, Emery and Avery Oswald, Henley and Hunter Kirk, Meghan (Dennis) Buckley, Jarrett and Marissa Cole, Mackenzie and Benjamin Mailloux. Great Nephew Cameron Buckley.

Preceding Ken in death are his parents Kenneth Sr. and Marie, brothers Larry and Rick and brother-in-law Phil Durigan; Doris's parents Leo and Theresa, brothers and sisters-in-law Ray and Cynthia and Norbert and Joyce.

The family would like to thank the entire team of doctors, nurses, and schedulers at both Aurora Baycare Medical Center and Emergency Room in Green Bay WI and Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN for the devotion to Ken's care throughout the years.

A Wisconsin Celebration of Life will be hosted on Sunday, March 5, 2023 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Lambeau Field. Parking is available at Lot 4 off Lombardi Avenue. Enter at the American Family Insurance gate. Take the escalator to Level 4 and follow the signage to the 4th floor Indoor Club.

A Rhode Island Celebration of Life and burial will be announced at a future date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Independence Square Foundation (an organization which brings nonprofit organizations together in first class surroundings to offer their services to the physically and mentally challenged), 500 Prospect St., Pawtucket, Rhode Island 02860.