I have such fond memories of my college years with Chris and our other “Tate Street” friends.  Chris was so kind, selfless and humble. Chris always recognized the best in others.  It brings me joy to know how much Chris inspired and impacted his students and colleagues. I’m sure Chris was an amazing husband and father. Please know your family is so close to my heart and in my prayers. God promises to be close to those who mourn. 💕

So very sorry .  Remember when Chris was born.  The Kirkman family has always special to me as I have known them for many years.  Sending love and prayers for comfort and peace,  May your memories be able to get all of you through the days ahead and may The Lord walk with all of you.  Love and prayers, Gloria Hyler


Tim Kenny and Majorie so sorry to hear about your loss prayers for comfort during this time

So sorry to hear this..Chris grew up with my son Mike whom though the world of Chris.I know they are laughing it up in heaven and playing rook.My heart goes out to all of y'all especially Marge.Hugs and prayers.Jean and James Eastwood

Chris was a sophomore and I was a senior at UNCG when we first became friends. He was so fun-loving, spontaneous, and always kind. He introduced me to music and authors I continue to associate with him. After we both graduated we exchanged letters for a few years (remember letter writing?), and his were so descriptive, full of big questions and exploration as he navigated life as a young adult. I'm grateful for the recent times we were able to catch up, and thinking of elegies for friends by poets we both admired. One recalls a baseball player saying of a friend gone too soon, "I thought / I'd be talking to him for the rest of my life." Rest in peace, friend, and may your family be surrounded by love.

Tribute to Chris Kirkman (student & co-worker)
As a junior, Chris Kirkman was my excellent Advanced Placement student at J. M. Morehead High School. He enjoyed writing and loved the American literature that inspired his excellent essays. As a senior, he chose Fast Forward, an early college course that at the time connected UNCG and interested advanced students in English to earn dual credit for senior year of high school and Freshman College English. Two UNCG English professors came to observe my class, and I encouraged Chris to talk with them about majoring in English at their university. Before he left my Fast Forward class as a senior, he had his plans for his future solidified. I kept up with his success at UNCG every year. I was always proud of the work he completed in my subject area.
When I retired, Chris returned to J. M. Morehead to teach the class in which he had so highly excelled. He taught at his former high school from 2003-2007, and during those years, he took night classes and summer courses pursuing his doctorate. In 2007, having earned his doctorate, Chris obtained a position at UNCG, where he excelled in his work with honors students. I was proud as I read the tribute his co-workers and students posted about the young man who worked diligently to share his love for English classes and his inspiration to write passionately. I remember watching his team play soccer in high school. He loved that game almost as much as he loved to write. I had no idea Chris was physically ill. I saw him several times during the years he taught at Morehead, and he had season tickets to Triad Stage the same evening my husband and I did. We always had conversations during intermission on those evenings. He continually showed appreciation to me for recommending the strong Department of English at UNCG, where he learned to excel as a teacher, always helping honors students experience the love for the written word that he had. Chris, you were a shining light in my career. 

I am so sorry for your passing and send my deepest condolences. 

I was a student at UNCG who graduated in 2018. Chris was one of my advisors at the Lloyd Honors College and I always appreciated his kindness, sense of humor, and willingness to help provide direction. 

Sending peace to your family during this time.

Chris is a big part of the memories I have of growing up on Klyce St in Eden. Although three years younger, he was a favorite playmate of mine. My sister and I thought of Chris as the little brother we always wanted. We would play baseball with him as well as ride bikes, play in his parents’ camper, play flashlight tag and tell ghost stories. I reconnected with Chris in high school as he helped out with the marching band. He was just as much fun then as when we were growing up. I am saddened to hear of his passing and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

First, his laugh. Chris would appreciate my jokes with a generous laugh. I worked with him for nearly a decade. We had, in our unit, a camaraderie that helped us build a tiny program into a big one. Chris, through the generosity of his time and intelligence, stewarded so very many students through their undergraduate years. The ripple effects of his attention, knowledge, and kindness, can and will be felt far into the future. Most of all, he loved his family, and would tell stories of his sons. He seemed not to be able to fully grasp his great good fortune. In our last real conversation, before he became ill, he talked of his father, and a wish he sometimes had of carrying him back to shore. He loved poetry, and we shared that amazement at the way language and sound become art. May your heart be full at the beauty of it. Great blessings to you as you pass from this realm to the next. And great solace to your family as they navigate this realm without you. 

So sad to lose such  a great friend. Not sure how many lunches Chris and I shared together on Tate Street over the years, but I looked forward to all of them, and I will miss his thoughtfulness dearly.  I feel lucky to have been a small part of his life.  My deepest condolences to Adrianna and the boys.

I am so sorry to hear about Chris. I grew up across the street and he was “the little brother I always wanted.”  We had so much fun playing together. He was the sweetest. I had lost touch after high school. Prayers to you all.

OBITUARY

Christopher Kirkman

September 13, 1970 – August 20, 2023

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