Kirke Alan King Sr.

Kirke Alan King, Sr. passed away on the morning of October 30th, 2022, at the age of eighty-four, at his home, in the loving care of his wife and family and with his devoted dog Bentley at his side. Kirke was born on May 18th, 1938 in Rochester, New York to Floyd and Marian King. His early love of the outdoors was fostered by his father who was an editor and outdoor columnist for the Rochester newspaper Chronicle and Democrat. Kirke spent his childhood hiking, camping, skiing and hunting in beautiful upstate NY. Summers were spent swimming, playing tennis and exploring the outdoors with friends and family at their home along the St. Lawrence River in Fernbank, Ontario, Canada. Expeditions were not unusual for Kirke at 13 yrs old, independent and outdoor savvy, he and a friend took their first week-long canoeing and camping trip alone down a river flowing from Lake Ontario.

Upon graduating with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder, Kirke worked for the Denver Wildlife Center before moving on to work as a biologist for the Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Government for the next forty years. There he helped establish the first field station in Victoria, TX, transferring to Phoenix, AZ in 1989 until his retirement in 2003. His early research work often took him to far off places including Baja California and isolated bird islands off the Texas coast. He was generous with his time and knowledge, often mentoring college biology students. His research, publications and lectures on environmental contaminants put him in contact with people from around the world and he was honored with the annual award from the Texas Chapter Wildlife Society for his publications in 1973.

On November 6th, 1970, (the date being based around the mating season of the brown pelican and opening day of hunting season) Kirke married Patricia Ann (McAlpine) De Amaral and stepped into a ready-made family of six. Four years later with the addition of their newborn son, they became a family of seven residing in Victoria Texas for the next 20 yrs before moving to Phoenix, AZ in 1990. Family was important to Kirke and he encouraged his children’s and grandchildren’s love of the outdoors through time in nature, raising animals in 4-H, hunting and hiking.

Kirke developed a lifelong passion and expertise in photography and was awarded first prize in the Fish and Wildlife National Photo Competition in 1977. As a lover of dogs as well as photography he was a popular figure at the Phoenix dog parks along with his dog, Bentley, taking action photos of the dogs and their people to add to his eclectic and beautiful collection of photos on his website (https://www.kirkephotos.com) as well as providing hundreds of followers with photos of their pets. His yearly trips with fellow photographer and lifelong friend Moke Raymond, who shared his love of outdoor adventure, was another inspiring source of amazing photo taking.

In addition to being the family photographer, Kirke was known for his great sense of humor, loved a good pun and was not above instigating a humorous prank now and then within the family (often involving reptiles). His enjoyment of music was immense and whenever he asked who wanted to listen to the “golden oldies” as he affectionately referred to his music collection you were in for an evening of Fifth dimension, Mamas and Papas, and Burt Bacharach. He enjoyed barbequing for the family and was known for his Hunter’s Stew and Gumbo. On a side note - after Patricia said healthier eating was needed and she would not bake anymore, he started coming home with recipes and ingredients and became quite renowned with family and friends for his decadent desserts.

Kirke’s car license plate was 1GR8LIF which pretty much sums it up. He is greatly loved and will be forever missed.

Kirke is survived by his wife of fifty-two years (shy by one week), Patricia, his five children, Frank De Amaral (Martha), M’Liz De Amaral (Jerry Vargas), Zane De Amaral, Gwyn De Amaral (John Willsen) and Alan King (Toni), thirteen grandchildren and three nieces. Kirke was preceded in death by his father, Floyd King, his mother, Marian (King)Fountain, his stepmother, Agnes King, his sister Joanne King, his daughter-in-law Sophie De Amaral and his grandson Daniel Willsen.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.LakeshoreMort.com for the King family.