Ralph F. Kirby

Ralph Franklin Kirby passed away in El Paso, Texas on December 21, 2017 at the age of 86 years. He was born in Chicago, Illinois on March 13, 1931, where he lived until the age of 12 when his family moved to Dallas, Texas. He often reminisced about his childhood summers on Lake Michigan in Racine, Wisconsin. In his youth, he held many odd jobs, including as a Western Union delivery boy. After graduating in 1949 from Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, he attended The University of Texas at Austin and studied business accounting. His studies were put on hold while he served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War. The USAF recognized his exuberant and fun-loving personality and tapped him to start the first service and entertainment club for Shepherd Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas. In 1951, along with a handful of other Air Force personnel he was one of the first to be trained for this at an army facility, which provided specialized training that was not yet available through the relatively young USAF. After an honorable discharge from the Air Force in 1953, he resumed his studies at The University of Texas, working many jobs to support his young family, including as Cutco knife salesman. After graduating in 1956, he began his career as a salesman in the executive training program at Foley’s Department Store in Houston, Texas. He rose through the ranks quickly and soon was hired by a firm of manufacturer’s representatives. Eventually, he started his own firm and represented many national companies selling house wares and electronics. When he retired from that business, he studied and received his licenses to sell securities and insurance, and began a second, very successful career. He retired at the age of 84. Ralph’s life-long passion was the Texas Longhorns. He knew every football player and coach dating back to 1949. He could never make a long story short and was loved for it.

Ralph was predeceased by his parents, Leroy Edward Kirby and Melba Engberg Kirby, his brother Robert Kirby, his nephew Thomas Kirby, his stepdaughter Stephanie Hamilton and her husband Bill Hamilton. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Jacquelyn Kirby; his sisters, Shirley Kirby and Joyce Morgan (Bill); his daughter Linda Kirby and her husband Carl Green; his daughter Ann Rachel and her husband David Rachel; his son Bradley Kirby: his stepdaughter Sandra Harper and her husband Carl Harper; his grandchildren Cameron Kazol (April), Julia Drewry (Ryan), Erich Rachel (Shaeleah), Jim Rachel (Anna), Sarah Skeuse (Mike), John Green, Meg Green, Melissa Bechet(Lee), Clinton Harper (Ginger), and Emilie Lukash (Matt); and 17 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his first wife and mother of his children, Martha Kirby. Pallbearers will be Bradley Kirby, Cameron Kazol, Carl Green, David Rachel, Ryan Drewry and David Mouser.