James Alvin Kirkley

Ret. Sgt Major James "Jimmy" Kirkley, of Sunset Harbor, North Carolina, formerly of Raeford, North Carolina, a proud United States Army and Korea & Vietnam Veteran, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, at the age of 92.

He was born in Chesterfield County, South Carolina on April 29, 1931, to the late Keith and Clora Kirkley.

At the age of 19, in 1950, James enlisted in the United States Army and honorably served for for twenty-two years before retiring as a Sergeant Major in 1972. During his career he served throughout the United States and in Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Germany.

After retiring from the Army, Jimmy ran a successful business, traveled extensively, gardened, fished and fixed anything that was broken.

He will be remembered by all who knew him for his energy, hard work and confidence that if someone else could do something, he could do it too.

Jimmy is survived by his loving wife of seventy years, Carolyn M. Kirkley; his daughters and their husbands, Angela Joy Kirkley and Robert Mitchell, and Gay Pilkington and the late Tom Pilkington; his sons and their wives, Ronald Kirkley and Cristina Pagani, and Don Kirkley and Cheryl Kirkley; his grandson and his wife, Aaron and Jessica Pilkington; his grandson, Byron Pilkington; his granddaughter, Lily McNutt; and his great grandsons, Kirk and Oliver Pilkington.

A Celebration of Life will be held in the White Funeral & Cremation Service Bolivia Chapel at 11 o'clock in the morning on Saturday, February 17, 2024. A Visitation with Family & Friends will be held after the service with light refreshments.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Lower Cape Fear LifeCare Foundation, 1414 Physicians Drive, Wilmington, NC 28401 or online at lifecare.org for the SECU Hospice House of Brunswick, or the First Baptist Church of Sunset Harbor, 3867 Sunset Harbor Road SE, Bolivia, NC 28422 for the building fund.