Warren Keith Kirkpatrick

Kirk was born in Live Oak, California in 1936. He was the youngest of six children born to Bruce and Vera Kirkpatrick. The Kirkpatrick family moved to California in the 1930s from Nebraska to escape Dust Bowl conditions. They brought their children to Live Oak to be near family. Kirk was born in California and grew up working in the fruit orchards of the Sacramento Valley alongside his brothers, sisters, and parents. He also took jobs in local canneries and ranches. A natural athlete, Kirk excelled in several sports in high school. After graduation, he continued to play both football and baseball at La Verne College. He attended college for three years and took off a year to teach in Live Oak, earning enough to pay for his last year of college.

After graduating, in 1959, Kirk started a nearly 40-year career as a teacher in the Covina-Valley Unified School District. He worked at several sites at various levels, but spent a majority of his tenure at Las Palmas Middle School. It was while he was at Fair Valley Elementary School that he met his future wife, Martha (Marty). Kirk and Marty settled in West Covina and raised two daughters, Jennifer and Elizabeth, both of whom attended school in C-VUSD and graduated from South Hills High School.

Kirk and Marty were married in 1961 at Covina First Baptist Church where they were members for many years. At the church Kirk took on various roles, including mentor, leader, and of course played on several softball teams.

In addition to teaching, Kirk served in many other capacities in education. He taught at the continuation school, gave many drivers their start as a behind-the-wheel instructor, coached several sports, including running a baseball camp for the Dodgers’ Wally Moon, and even taught management courses at Cal State Los Angeles. Kirk also established and directed a very successful after-school reading and math clinic. Later, he managed a tutoring program for many years through Mt. San Antonio College that had extensions in several schools throughout the San Gabriel Valley.

After retiring from teaching, Kirk and Marty relocated to San Dimas. Kirk substituted in Covina, including a long-term co-teaching stint with Marty, and helped build study skills programs in both Chino and Bassett school districts. Kirk and Marty enjoyed many activities in retirement, like traveling, often to Morro Bay and a few cruises, relaxing at nearby casinos (after all they spent their honeymoon in Las Vegas), and spending time in Newport Beach with friends and relatives at their timeshare.

Kirk also spent many hours on the golf course, playing well into his 80s. Kirk was lucky enough to play in Hawaii, Pebble Beach, Lake Tahoe, Hilton Head, and Las Vegas. He was a strong competitor, playing in many tournaments, and enjoyed meeting golfers and joining foursomes when he could. He even worked as a course marshal at various courses in California and Nevada.

Kirk and Marty also got to spend many hours with their three grandchildren, Garrett, Brooklyn, and Ryan. There were road trips, including one cross-country car trip with Garrett, weekends in Newport Beach, and taking in many sporting events, dance recitals, parades, and after-school activities over the years for each of them. Kirk lived to see all of his grandchildren graduate from college and get started in their adult lives.

Kirk is survived by his wife Marty, daughter Jennifer Hostetler of Coarsegold, CA and daughter Elizabeth Deck and her husband Loren of La Verne, CA, grandson Garrett Hostetler and his wife Adrienne, both of Drasco, AR, granddaughter Brooklyn Hostetler of Coarsegold, and granddaughter Ryan Deck of La Verne. He is also survived by an older sister, Dona Stohlman and her husband Jerry, of Gridley, CA and an older brother Dale Kirkpatrick of Washougal, WA. He also leaves behind many nieces and nephews, friends and colleagues, as well as hundreds of students who were impacted by his long career as an educator.