David Kirkland

J. David Kirkland, Jr, 60, died on Wednesday, the 12th of September 2018, after a long and valiant struggle with cholangiocarcinoma (cancer of the bile duct). David was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on the 29th of January 1958, to Ann Wales Kirkland and John David Kirkland, but considered himself a lifelong (even if not native) Houstonian, arriving here when he was four months old.

David graduated from St. John’s School, then returned to New Haven for college and law school, receiving a B.A. in economics, summa cum laude, from Yale College in 1980. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in November 1979. He received his J.D. from Yale Law School in 1983.

Even more valuable than the academics at Yale were the personal connections David made. The most important of these began one sunny afternoon in September 1978, when a new student arrived at Ezra Stiles, David’s residential college at Yale. Soon David knew that she was the one, the woman to teach him the things he needed to be taught, to share the good times and the bad, to raise children with, to grow old with—his one true love. Anne and David married at the National Cathedral in Washington on the 21st of August 1982.

After law school, David and Anne came to Houston, where David began his 35-year legal career with Baker Botts L.L.P. He focused on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets transactions, and corporate governance work, primarily in the energy sector. Over his career, David was responsible for transactions valued at over $300 billion. David became a partner in the firm in January 1990, a year ahead of the standard pace. By 2000, he was elected to the firm’s executive committee as one of its youngest members. He served on the executive committee and as chair of the corporate department for 18 years.

David was well recognized by clients and peer counsel and was highly ranked by many of the world’s leading legal publications, which described David as “one of the best corporate lawyers in the country, period.” He was also honored to be selected as a member of the American Law Institute.

Though David was approached by other law firms and companies with tantalizing employment offers, he was never interested: at Baker Botts he found partners, coworkers, and clients who were creative problem solvers, brilliant thinkers, and most important, dear and supportive friends.

David was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma in March 2014. This rare form of cancer has few treatment options unless discovered early, which doesn’t happen often. After his first oncologist gave little hope for how much time David had left, he went to MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) and found a number of treatment options. David was happy to participate in many different clinical trials, despite the pain inherent in them, because he knew he was contributing to the ultimate elimination of cholangiocarcinoma. He understood that although these trials would extend his life only a little, the information from them would save the lives of others.

His MDACC treatments also gave David time to do a few of the many things he had left undone. David spent more time with the family at their house on Lake Michigan. Will took David to Los Angeles to watch the taping of Jeopardy!, one of David’s favorite television programs. Diana and David went wandering through Missouri to find a patch of clear skies to see the total solar eclipse in 2017. Anne and David explored the North and South Islands of New Zealand. David went to each of the Astros’ home games in the 2017 World Series with Diana or Will, and got to see the Astros earn their rings. But most important of all was the chance he had to walk Diana down the aisle at Christ Church to be married to Dallas—a truly beautiful day.

David was committed to supporting the Houston community and promoting Houston’s growth and development. His lifelong appreciation of the visual arts that started at St. John’s led him to serve in a variety of capacities for the Menil Collection, including as a trustee, vice president, and chair or member of a number of committees. He also served as a trustee of the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston. In addition, David served on the vestry of Christ Church Cathedral, was senior warden of the Cathedral in 2014, and was president of the Cathedral’s endowment fund. Outside Houston, David was active in several Yale-related roles, including co-chair of his law school reunion gift committee for the last three reunions. He was a member of Allegro, the Coronado Club, Pentwater Yacht Club, River Oaks Country Club, and the Yale Club of New York City.

David is survived by the love of his life and wife of 36 years, Anne, who supported him in times good and bad, and helped him learn, even if slowly, what was truly important in this life; his two children, Diana Margaret Kirkland and William Daniel Kirkland, who brought him more joy, love, and support than anyone has a right to ask for or expect; Diana’s loving husband, Dallas Hansen; David’s mother, Ann Wales; his sister Solace Southwick, her husband Jim Southwick and their two children, James and Virginia; his brother Bobby and his children Katherine and Pierce; together with stepsiblings, their spouses and children, and his father’s widow, Kate Kirkland. He was preceded in death by his father, John Kirkland; his sister-in-law, Alicia Crawford Kirkland; and his mother’s second husband, Dwight Nishimura.

A memorial service is to be conducted at half past three o’clock in the afternoon on Thursday, the 20th of September, at Christ Church Cathedral, 1117 Texas Avenue in Houston, where the Very Rev. Barkley Thompson is to officiate.

In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions may be directed to the Christ Church Cathedral Endowment Fund, 1117 Texas Avenue, Houston, Texas 77002; the Menil Collection Annual Fund, 1515 Branard Street, Houston, Texas 77006; Yale Law School, P.O. Box 208329, New Haven, Connecticut 06520; or a charity of one’s choice.