Bill Kirkland passed away peacefully at his home in Kirkland on March 19, 2013, at the age of 68, surrounded by his family and a few close friends, after a twenty year battle with four different kinds of cancer, kidney disease and end stage renal disease. His life and journey were a true testament to courage, perseverance, and selflessness. He was a loving husband, father, and friend and will be missed by many.
Born at a very young age on August 4th, 1944, in Wenatchee, Bill and his family moved to Ketchikan, Alaska where he lived until he was 11. He would return a few years later to try his hand at commercial fishing and even though he did it, he was never shy in saying it wasn’t for him. Though spending only a few short years in Alaska, that way of life stayed with him forever and he was able to visit a few times throughout his last years while cruising through Alaska. His very sharp memory allowed for many happy stories of his childhood there. 
Bill also went on to serve 6 years in the Marine Reserves and always had a soft spot in his heart for Marines.
In 1968 Bill moved to Virginia, and lived with his sister while attending computer programming school. While there he met Linda Wakefield who became his wife in 1969. They drove across country seeing many wonderful and memorable sights before reaching their destination of Washington State.
Bill enjoyed many wonderful camping trips and vacations with his family. He particularly enjoyed any place near the ocean. He was an avid reader and enjoyed watching Seahawks, Mariners, and Sounders games, both in person and on television. He loved eating popcorn and drinking Dr. Pepper. He enjoyed eating German chocolate cake on special occasions and met many vegetables he didn’t like, especially onions and broccoli.
After a long and satisfying career in the mortgage underwriting business, Bill retired and took up one of his other great passions – airplanes and flying. He became a volunteer at Seattle’s Museum of Flight where he spent at least three days every week giving tours through the museum and sharing stories with all the different people he met. True to his character, it never took long for people to be drawn to Bill and tell him their stories. Our family always enjoyed hearing about the people he met and the things he saw at the museum. As many know, he was always eager to share his passes to the museum so that others could experience the joy he found there. He was very proud to have recently reached 2,400 volunteer hours.
Bill is survived by his wife Linda Kirkland and daughters Carrie Doolittle (Mike) and Tara Kirkland; all of whom he made sure to take care of until his last day. He is also survived by sisters, Karen (Kirkland) Morris of Colorado Springs, Colorado and Kathy (Kirkland) Gould of Sultan, Washington. He was a hero the way he led his life, never complaining while in the midst of various medical procedures and illnesses and always having time for anyone he met. His sense of humor was famous among those who knew him and never ceased until his last day. The example he provided for his family on how to live life and how to treat people will live on. He has left us all with a feeling of gratefulness, privilege and blessing just to have known him.
He will forever be loved and missed.
A celebration of Bill’s life will be held on April 20th, 2013, at 2:00 pm, at the Inglewood Presbyterian Church, 7718 NE 141st Street, Kirkland, WA 98034.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Museum of Flight:
Attn: Development Office
9404 East Marginal Way S
Seattle, WA 98108-4097
Phone: 206.764.5720