NORTH WEBSTER — Gary D. Kirkwood, 65, Syracuse, passed away at 12:22 a.m. Jan. 26, 2017, at Elkhart General Hospital. He was born Dec. 31, 1951, in Greenfield, to Millard Stephen and Maidee Walton Pettus Kirkwood. He grew up in Greenfield, attended Greenfield High School and moved to the Syracuse area in 1976. He was formerly employed at Behlen Manufacturing, Goshen, for 10 years; Sellers Manufacturing, Milford, for several years; sheared sheep and was a welder. He attended Victory Christian Fellowship, North Manchester. He is survived by his companion, Connie Akers, Syracuse; a son, Gary Steven “Bub” Kirkwood, Osceola; a daughter, Rebecca “Becki” (spouse James) Coplin, Albion; three stepdaughters: Tara (spouse Denny) Blosser, Springtown, Texas; Tammy (spouse Jeff) Yohe, South Bend; and Tasha (Chris Sabin) Blankenship, Cromwell; a stepson, Travis (spouse Kaelin) Clark, Lafayette; 20 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; a sister, Shirley Clark, Coal City; and two brothers, Richard (spouse Bonnie Lee) Kirkwood, North Manchester, and Terry (spouse Denise) Kirkwood, Howe. He was preceded by his parents; a sister, Frances LaVern Flynn; and a brother, Jimmy Millard Kirkwood. Cremation will take place at Cremation Services of Kosciusko County, Warsaw. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. until the noon memorial service Saturday at Owen Family Funeral Home, Ind. 13 and CR 500N, North Webster. Pastor Tim Morbitzor will officiate. Private family burial will be at the McClintic Cemetery, Syracuse. ***** Memorials to the Gary Kirkwood Funeral Fund, c/o Owen Family Funeral Home, P.O. Box 72, North Webster, IN 46555. To send condolences in memory of Gary Kirkwood, visit www.owenfamilyfuneralhome.com.
