David Bettles Kirk, 88, journeyed to the happy hunting ground Dec. 12, 2009. He was born March 27, 1921 in Oak Harbor, where he completed grade school and high school. Unable to enter the military during World War 11 because of a childhood accident where he lost vision in his right eye, he and his father, George Alexander Kirk, worked in the Seattle Shipyard building military vessels for our fighting soldiers.

Following the war, Dave returned to the family farm on Whidbey Island. He started a dairy which he ran for many years and also worked at the Christenson sawmill to help make ends meet. The family also raised turkeys for a period of time at their farm on Sleeper Road.

In the mid-1950s he returned to the carpenter trade, which he learned during WWII. He built many houses on the north end of Whidbey Island and worked for many construction companies in the Pacific Northwest. One of the large projects he worked on included construction of pre-fabricated office, work, and living modules for the Alaska pipeline northern terminal at Prudhoe Bay. He was responsible for construction of the modules in Anacortes. The construction had to adhere to a precise time line in order to ship the modules to Alaska during the summer when the Artic seas are ice free.

Dave retired in 1983 and he and the love of his life, Ruth, purchased a home on Snee-oosh Beach in La Conner. After retiring Dave and Ruth spent many days traveling with their travel trailer. They enjoyed visiting friends in the southwest and traveled often to visit children, grandchildren, and great-grand children.

Dave enjoyed hunting and fishing with his family and friends. Some of the trips involved hunting caribou in Alaska with his sons, moose hunting in Canada, mountain lion hunting in Utah, antelope hunting in Wyoming with Jim, pheasant and duck hunting in South Dakota with sons and grandsons, and dove hunting with his family and friends in Eastern Washington.

Dave and Ruth fished many lakes in Washington and British Columbia. They managed to catch fish even when others could not. They also caught Dungeness crabs in front of their home in La Conner. Dave’s hobby was making hope chests for his wife, daughter, and daughter-in-laws. He was renown for his handmade “gag” gifts. Family members and friends will always have these gifts to remind us of his great sense of humor.

Dave cherished his family in his quiet way. Dave leaves behind his wife of 66 years, Ruth, at their home in Post Falls, Idaho. His children, James and LaDonna Kirk of Gig Harbor, Steven and Debbi Kirk of Woodinville, and Alice and Bob Anderson Post Falls, will remember their father for his courage, understanding, love and complete devotion to their well-being. Six grandchildren and eight great- grandchildren will miss their grandpa who always had a smile and twinkle in his eye whenever he saw them.

Dave is preceded in death by his father and mother, George Kirk and Alice Bettles Kirk Stroops, and the grandfather he adored, Captain James J. Bettles.

A memorial service will be held at the Burley Funeral Chapel in Oak Harbor on Thursday, Dec. 17 at 1 p.m. The family requests memorial donations to Ducks Unlimited LaConner, WA. A special thank you is sent from the family to the staff of Coeur d’Alene Homes, Life Care Center Post Falls, and Hospice of North Idaho.