Brett Shirk

Brett was born in Newton, Kansas on March 22, 1967, to Gerrel and Constance Shirk who were hard-working, genuine, and loving parents of five boys. Brett thrived on action and excitement, finding his thrill in riding BMX, leading the Newton Railroaders as their football captain, and test-driving anything Gerrel crafted in his auto shop. Following high school, he attended several local colleges (as he always jokingly highlighted) before enlisting in the United States Air Force to serve as a mechanic. During his four years of service, Brett developed discipline, a deep respect for his country, and a passion for serving others that ignited his path of lifelong success.

Through the benefits of the G.I. Bill, Brett earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Texas A&M University. He took pride in being a member of the Aggie family, competing on the Water Ski Team, and passionately supporting Aggie sports. Brett had just taken his family to the Aggies’ Thanksgiving weekend game, where he enthusiastically joined in the cheers of “Gig ‘em!”

After college, Brett moved to Houston, Texas where he began his career and through a mutual friend, met the love of his life, Jennifer Shirk. He and Jenni celebrated the births of their first three children, Ellie and twins, Jack and Kyle, before relocating to Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan. Brett and Jenni moved their growing family to Westfield, New Jersey in 2007, where they joyfully completed their family with the arrivals of Jillian and Maria. In 2018, the Shirk Family returned to Texas - the state where Brett and Jenni’s love story began - settling in Austin and sharing their love of Texas with their five children.

Over the course of his 30-year career in the technology industry, Brett held many leadership roles, leaving a lasting, positive impact on everyone he encountered. He thrived in competitive situations and encouraged others to do the same. In true Brett fashion, he always went the extra mile at work. He had a remarkable ability to make everyone feel like the most important person in the room, often taking the time to thoughtfully write notes and make personal phone calls to his colleagues, conveying heartfelt messages of encouragement and gratitude. Regardless of role or status in the company, Brett made sure everyone felt appreciated and valued. His gestures were more than just acts of kindness, they were reflections of the humanity and selflessness he brought to each organization joined. He loved that his job gave him the opportunity to travel the world. Regardless of the time zone he was in, Brett never failed to send a selfie documenting the trip in the “Shirky Fam” Snapchat group. While Brett’s professional accomplishments were extraordinary, they were nothing compared to what he accomplished as a father and husband.

Brett lived by his mottos: “Go Big or Go Home,” “Work Hard, Play Hard,” and “Give 110%.” He poured his love and energy into his family, creating a life filled with joy, adventure, and encouragement. From running 13 marathons to long bike rides, OrangeTheory workouts with his family, running dates with Jenni, and more recently CorePower Yoga with his girls, Brett’s commitment to fitness was a testament to his relentless drive. His youthful energy shone through in activities such as spending time at the lake, wake surfing and barefooting on the boat, adventures with his sons, Jack and Kyle, racing his Corvette, and shredding “pow” on family snowboard vacations. He found happiness in cheering on his kids’ sports teams, attending concerts, enjoying a Shiner Ruby Redbird while grilling steaks, and sharing laughs with his family while watching movies.

Brett’s light shone in everything he did. He brought joy to everyone he met and not a day passed without him putting a smile on someone’s face. Brett’s inner light and charismatic personality drew people to him; he loved creating personal connections and giving nicknames to those he cared about. Brett himself went by many nicknames, such as the famous “Shirk Daddy” among his admiring coworkers, and “Shirky Boy,” lovingly used by his wife. Brett’s favorite names of all were “Dad” and “Pops,” the titles given by his greatest joy, his children.

To know Brett was to love him. His influence left those around him more inspired, eager to dream bigger, and live life more fully. Brett motivated those around him to exceed every expectation- not through demands, but by believing in them so deeply that they began to believe in themselves. Despite holding significant professional roles and achieving incredible success, Brett remained humble, fun, kind, generous, and down-to-earth. He was the perfect example of a husband, father, friend, and leader.

Brett Shirk was preceded in death by his beloved mother, Constance Shirk, who passed away in September 2024; his father, Gerrel Shirk; his two brothers, Kevin and Kenny DeRuy; and his sister-in-law, Jolene Kanary. He is survived by his loving wife, Jenni; his five children, Ellie, Jack, Kyle, Jillian, and Maria; his brothers, Kurt and Shelly DeRuy and Cory and Diana Shirk; his father and mother-in-law, Jim and Judy Kanary; his sisters-in-law, Julie and Tony Young and Jackie and Rich Walkowski; and his nieces and nephews, Justin, DJ, Kellen, Jake, Kennedy, Remington, Alex, Ben, Maura, and Brigid.

Funeral Services will be held at Weed Corley Fish Funeral Home 5416 Parkcrest Drive Austin, Texas. Visitation will be Wednesday, December 18th from 3 to 8 p.m. and the Funeral Service will be Thursday, December 19th at 3 p.m. In Brett’s honor, the family plans to establish a Memorial Scholarship Fund at Texas A&M University.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be sent to the Texas A&M Foundation, 401 George Bush Drive, College Station, Texas 77840. Please designate the General Memorial account in the memo line of the check. Credit card donations can be made to www.txamfoundation.com/give, select AN Unlisted Account and enter General Memorial 400/33198.