SOUTH BEND – William Henry “Bill” Kirkwood Jr., 86, of New Carlisle, and formerly of Albion, N.Y., passed away July 25, 2012, in Hamilton Communities, New Carlisle, Ind.
He was born Sept. 5, 1925, in Mishawaka, to William Henry Sr. and Jennie Katherine Tucker Kirkwood.
He served in the U.S. Navy in World War II on the USS Enterprise CV6 and USS Cowpens CVL25 (among others) and in Korea on the USS Begor APD-127 with a rank of Storekeeper G Third Class. Between his tours of duty in the U.S. Navy, he worked in the Singer Sewing Machine cabinet shop in South Bend. During his career in construction management he was a section project supervisor on the Indiana Toll Road from right of way acquisition through completion. He worked as safety engineer and architect’s representative for Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Northrup, Kaelber & Kopf and Albert Kahn Associates on a variety of projects including the Civic Center and John Hancock Center in Chicago, and the Kodak Marketing and Education Center and United States Courthouse and Federal Office Building in Rochester, N.Y.
He loved the outdoors, fishing, hunting and traveling.
Surviving are a son, Craig (and spouse Evelyn) Kirkwood, Edwardsburg, Mich.; a daughter, Tracy (and spouse Steve) Bibler, Elkhart; his sister-in-law, Norma Kirkwood, Claypool; a nephew, Kirk (and spouse Linda) Robbins, South Bend; and nieces: Kathy Jo (and spouse Tom) Miller, Lafayette; Kristy (and spouse Mark) Sprott, Austin, Texas; Rhonda Kirkwood, Warsaw; and Jeni Kirkwood, Kokomo; two grandchildren, Chris (and spouse Melissa) Lello, Elkhart, and Amy (and spouse Jeff) Abigt, Lakeville; and four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his brother, John Kirkwood, Claypool, and his sister, Barbara (and spouse Jarvis) Robbins, South Bend.
Welsheimer Family Funeral Home, South Bend, was in charge of arrangements.
A memorial gathering for the family will be at a future date. ***** Memorials may be made to the Greencroft Foundation for the Hamilton Grove Courtyard, 1721 Greencroft Blvd., P.O. Box 819, Goshen, IN 46527; or to the charity of the donor’s choice.
