Richard (Rick) Kirkwood

Oct. 16, 1959 – Oct. 19, 2021

Richard (Rick) Kirkwood of Clawson, Michigan, died on Oct. 19, 2021, three days after his 62nd birthday. He passed with his niece Kimberly by his side.

“Strong,” “Tough” and “A good friend” are words his friends frequently use to describe him. “Rick was the strongest, toughest man I ever knew, battling stage five kidney failure for six years. He was also a complete badass and faced life head on without hesitation. He worked hard and played harder. He tried all the things, loved all the girls, travelled to all the cool places. Nothing ever stopped him,” as his niece described him.

Some of his favorite things were dogs, good music, food, little kids, fishing, beaches, casinos and especially Harley-Davidson Motorcycles. He enjoyed a day-long, two-hundred-mile bike ride in Alaska this summer, even with a broken wrist! Rick grew up in Clawson, Michigan, graduated from Clawson High School, and attended Community College in Homer, Alaska. He lived in St. Petersburg and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida for a while, and spent some time out west.

Of all the places he’s been, Alaska had his heart, especially Homer. He moved there in 1994 after a fishing trip in Southeast and spent years boating, fishing, camping, running sled dogs and soaking in all the beauty and adventure that he loved. He spent this past summer there visiting friends and touring around on his new bike.

Rick was a “Caregiver,” providing quality medical cannabis to his local community. He was predeceased by his parents, Morris and Betty (West) Kirkwood, and siblings, Jeffrey Spinks and Cindy Kirkwood. He is survived by his sister LouAnne Kirkwood and a large-extended family. Rick enjoyed the company of his many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, great-grandnieces and nephews.

He did not suffer fools or mince words, and was a generous person, even donating organs in advance of his passing.

Rest in well-deserved peace and freedom, Rick. You will be missed.

We are thinking about a memorial at Clawson Park in Michigan this coming summer.