Doyle Ray Kirby

Funeral Services for Doyle Ray Kirby of Elizabeth, Arkansas, will be 10:00 am Friday, July 31, 2015, at Crossroads Church of Christ, Gepp, Arkansas, with Brother Frank Plachy officiating. Visitation will be Friday from 9:00 am until service time at the church.

Doyle Ray Kirby, 79, died peacefully in his sleep Tuesday, July 28, 2015 at his home following a long illness.

He leaves his wife of 59 years, Wanda Faye (Smith) Kirby; his daughter, Dianne Whittingham and her husband, David Whittingham; his daughter, Brenda Burgin and her husband, Russell Burgin and his daughter, Jannie McNatt and her husband, Wayne McNatt; his grandchildren, Amy (Dean) Reeves, Casey (Ross) Tate, Nathan (Amee) Tanksley, Terry McNatt and Nisha (Allen) Gulley and six great grandchildren, Hailey, Bree, Ruger, Stephanie, Steven and Terron.

Born June 18, 1936, in Caruth, Missouri, the son of James Arthur and Tina Eva Eudora (Robertson) Kirby. He had one brother and five sisters, James Thomas Kirby, deceased, Verna Lee Chilland of Springfield, Missouri, Carolita Montgomery, deceased, Dortha Hulvey of Collierville, Tennessee, Linda Collins of Patterson, Missouri and Anna Merritt, deceased.

Mr. Kirby, lived in Missouri with his family during his early years and was taught many lessons from the older men who frequented the front porch of the grocery store and gas station that his parents owned. At the age of four the men had taught him to smoke a cigar. A picture of him was captured by a reporter and was later published in the local news paper.

The family later moved and Mr. Kirby helped his father on the farm they moved to near Leachville, Arkansas. As a boy on the farm he entered his daredevil days and rode a bicycle on the banister of a bridge. On his ride he fell, jumped up, and chased his sister home, where he passed out and remained unconscious for three days.

Doyle graduated from Egypt High School. He went to school and attended Egypt Church of Christ with his future wife, Wanda Faye Smith. They were married November 12, 1955 at Bay, Arkansas. The couple eloped and Doyle had to get the Justice of the Peace off the tractor for the ceremony. They spent their honeymoon in Nashville, Tennessee and went to the Grand Ole Opry in the Ryman Auditorium.

His working career was with General Electric where he worked for 37 years and retired from his job as Purchasing Agent.

In his young adult life, Mr. Kirby was an avid coon hunter and trained his dogs to be top hunters. The bay of the dogs on a hunt was music to his ears. On summer weekends he spent his days and nights camping with his family, teaching his girls how to swim and roast marshmallows over the camp fire.

After retirement, Doyle and Wanda moved to Elizabeth, Arkansas and enjoyed many years of lake life, including fishing, swimming and long evening chats with family on weekend nights. Doyle was a gardener and grew vegetables for his family, neighbors and church friends. Every year he produced a bumper crop with exception of the year that he picked up the wrong bottle and poisoned the whole garden.

Doyle became a member of the Crossroads Church of Christ when he and Wanda moved to Elizabeth. He started a closer walk with GOD and loved his church family.

He will be missed by all.

Burial will be in the Markham Cemetery, Egypt, Arkansas,with Ross Tate, Nathan Tanksley, Terry McNatt, Allen Gulley, Dean Reeves, Joel Huett and Luke Huett as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be the men of Crossroads Church of Christ.

Memorials may be made to the Markham Cemetery Fund P.O. Box 29, Bono, AR 72416 or the Paragould Children's Home 5515 Walcott Road, Paragould, AR 72450.

Arrangements are by Kirby and Family Funeral and Cremation Services.