Bill was born in Wichita, Kansas on September 13, 1929 to William and Elisabeth Kirby. He grew up in rural Kansas, developing a strong work ethic and helping his family through the lean years during the Great Depression and WWII. Bill graduated from Clearwater High School, Wichita, KS and continued his education at Wichita State University earning an Accounting/Business degree.
In February 1954, Bill returned from the Army and went to work for George F. Kern & Co, his aunt and uncle's farm, livestock, and grain elevator business in Windsor, Colorado. He met future bride Elaine Garber in Windsor, where they raised their family, and spent a significant portion of their sixty-three year journey together.
Bill was an active member and President of the Colorado Cattle Feeders Association, as well as a member of “T-Bone Club” and The Lions Club. He served on the Windsor RE4 School Board for many years.
In 1978, Bill ran for Weld County Commissioner--a four-year term to be followed by retirement and winters in Arizona. However, retirement was short-lived. Bill still had the energy and enthusiasm for service and ran for another term as County Commissioner in 1985. He won that election by 2 votes and earned the nickname, “Landslide Kirby”. He ultimately served as a Weld County Commissioner until 1992, accumulating 12 years of dedicated service.
In 1993, retirement finally took hold, and Bill and Elaine enjoyed years of international travel, RVing, and visiting kids and grandkids. After spending a number of winters in Yuma, Arizona, Bill and Elaine moved to their Arizona home in 2007. They thrived there—enjoying retirement, traveling, and filling their days with golf, cards, and new friends from around the country and Canada. In recent years, Bill especially enjoyed his dogs, and his weekly Methodist Men's Meetings and card groups. He was also an avid reader and was particularly fond of historical novels and biographies. He was an active member of the Gila Mountain Methodist Church, where he served as an usher.
Bill is survived by his loving wife of sixty-three years, Elaine (Garber) Kirby; three children: Linda Myers (Phil) of Windsor, Colorado; Don Kirby of Greeley, Colorado; Carol Decker, of Terre Haute, Indiana; eight grandchildren/step-grandchildren, and three step-great-grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, January 25th at Gila Mountain United Methodist Church, 12716 N. Frontage Rd. Yuma, AZ 85367.
Johnson Mortuary (1415 S. 1st Ave, Yuma, AZ 85364) has been entrusted with arrangements.
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