Carolyn Eakle Kirk
November 19, 2015

Carolyn Eakle Kirk, age 88, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and formerly of Quincy, passed away peacefully at John Knox Village in Pompano Beach, FL on Wednesday, September 9, 2015, at 5:09 pm.

Carolyn was born on February 13, 1927 in Quincy, Illinois, the only child of Wm Carson and Dena Gooch Eakle. After graduating from Quincy High School in 1944, Carolyn earned her Associate's Degree at William Woods College in Fulton, MO in 1946. She then received her Bachelor's Degree at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington in 1948, majoring in Spanish and Sociology, because she wanted to be a social worker in South America. In later years Carolyn quipped that the closest she came to realizing that ambition was that she taught on the "South" side of Maine Street.

During Easter break of her senior year, Carolyn had a brief, impromptu meeting with QJHS principal, Dr. Clarke, and secured a teaching position to begin in the fall. She taught 8th grade English and American History at QJHS from 1948-1960, when she got pregnant.

Just a few days after he moved to Quincy in 1949 to teach math at Quincy Senior High School, Houston Kirk was introduced to Carolyn by Dr. Robert E. Meyer at a teachers' conference. Houston and Carolyn were married on June 8, 1951, and in 1960 they had a son, Carson.

During the 1960's and early 1970's, Carolyn was active in Quincy Service League and was a member of Friends in Council. Carolyn and Houston loved to dance and play Bridge, and together won consecutive "Bridge-a-Rama" tournaments in 1969 and 1970. Carolyn and her dear friend, Charlotte Spear, won one of the first (if not THE first) "Bridge-a-Rama" tournaments. For a number of years on Monday mornings, Carolyn and Charlotte played Bridge with dear friends, Pat Kniel and Maryann Westhoff.

The Kirks also loved to travel. In the summer of 1967, Houston and Carolyn led a group of QHS students on a memorable European trip entitled "The Teen Tour." It was during the same summer that Dr. Clarke called Carolyn to offer her teaching job back. Although flattered, Carolyn decided to stay home with Carson. Shortly after Houston's resignation from teaching in 1972, the family moved to Ft Lauderdale, FL, where Houston's mother and step-father had retired. In 1978 Houston and Carolyn were divorced, but always remained very dear friends.

In 1974 Carolyn joined the Broward Women's Chorus, realizing a life-long enjoyment of singing. She was a member of the chorus for many years, and supported them financially in later years through the Kirk Family Foundation, for which she was the Secretary while Carson serves as President. In Florida, Carolyn was also an active member of the PEO sisterhood and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority. From 1988 to 1998 she directed a singing group called "The Larks." A 1991 newspaper article about the chorus deemed Carolyn as having, "the voice of a songbird."

Over the years, Carolyn loved her family dearly, and was fortunate enough to have a wide circle of friends. She always had a beautiful, radiant smile, as well as a sweet, engaging personality which endeared her to others. Carolyn also loved to shop, as well as dress up in pretty clothes and jewelry...and everything had to be color coordinated. Although admittedly not a great cook, she did make wonderful fudge and Christmas cookies.

Carolyn is survived by her son, Carson Kirk, who commutes between Quincy and Ft. Lauderdale. She is also survived by a number of "surrogate" daughters and caregivers: Georgine Payne, Paulette Biggs, Sandra Maragh, Barbara Caleffe, Geralda Estelhomme and Barbara McWright. Also surviving is a dear Florida friend, Beverly Caleffe, who has known Carolyn since 1975.

Her husband, Houston, predeceased Carolyn on August 6, 2002. Carolyn was also preceded in death by her parents; a favorite aunt, Beulah Gooch; a beloved grandmother, Ada Carson Eakle, who lived just long enough to acknowledge Carson's birth; and a great-grandmother, Martha Suter Carson, who said that Carolyn was, "...the sweetest little girl that ever sat beside a cottage door."

Services: 10:00 am Monday, September 21, 2015 at Hansen-Spear Funeral Home, with Scott Walden officiating.

Burial: Greenmount Cemetery, Quincy, Illinois. A luncheon will follow at the Quincy Country Club where everyone is welcome to help continue to celebrate Carolyn's long, happy life.

Visitation: 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm, Sunday September 20, 2015 at Hansen-Spear Funeral Home

Memorials: Community Foundation of the Quincy Area or a charity of the donor's choice.

www.hansenspear.com

Hansen-Spear Funeral Directors are in charge of the arrangements.

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