Noah Kirkwood Jr.

Life’s Reflections

Noah Kirkwood, the second son of Noah Kirkwood, Sr. and Inez Eudell Chew was born March 11, 1932, in Kansas City, Kansas.  He attended Douglass and Dunbar elementary schools, graduated from Northeast Junior High School in 1947 and from Sumner High School in 1950.

Immediately after graduating from Sumner High School, he joined the U.S. Navy.  The Navy was a turning point in his life.  About three weeks after joining the Navy, the Korean conflict  began.  After graduating from Boot Camp in San Diego in September of 1950, he was assigned to the Destroyer USS Blue.  After the USS Blue was put in commission, she began her first of three tours to the war zone in February of 1951.  During the years 1951 to 1954, the USS Blue docked in such ports- of call as Hawaii, the  Philippines, Hong Kong, Formosa, and several cities in Japan.  In 1951 he took a tour of Nagasaki , the city where the second atomic bomb was dropped and killed around 80,000 people.

He was the first African American to attend a Class “A” Commissary School in the U.S. Navy and was the runner up  for honor man.  He earned the second highest average in his class.  He was awarded several Campaign Ribbons which included the Navy Occupation, National Defense, Korean Service, United Nations, and China Service.

After being discharged from the Navy  in  April of 1954, he enrolled in  Kansas City, Kansas Community College and earned his Associate’s degree in September of 1956.  He then enrolled in Pittsburg State College in September of 1956 and graduated in May of 1958 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education.  His major was in Language and Literature with a minor in Social Science.  He returned to Pittsburg and began a year of graduate work during the 1958-59 school year.  During his graduate year at Pittsburg, he met and married Virginia Owens.  From this union, two children were born, Eric Uriel Kirkwood and LaDonna Raye Kirkwood.  LaDonna departed this life February 18, 1997. Noah often said that his children were the supreme joy and happiness in his life.

He began his career with the Social Security Administration and held many positions. These positions included Claims Authorizer, Employee Development Specialist, Chief of Employee Relations, and Equal Employee Office (EEO). Taking advantage of the early retirement provision at that time, he retired after 25 years of federal service.  After federal retirement, he was employed with The Hughes Development Company to manage Gateway Plaza Homes which was composed of 285 units.  After managing that complex for several years, he worked as a Building Manager, a Federal Census Taker, an EEO Investigator, and as a Substitute Teacher for the Kansas City, Kansas, school district. During most of his adult life, Noah was involved with numerous community organizations.  He was twice president of  the Northeast Action Group ( NAG), president  of the Drug and  Alcohol  Group ( DRAG  ), and served  on numerous boards, which included Turner House,  Chairman of the Juniper Gardens Children’s Project Advisory Board, and the Economic Opportunity Foundation.  For several years, he chaired the Kirkwood Family Reunions. Perhaps the most significant  position  he had was serving as President of the Board and later Executive Director of the Uriel Owens Sickle Cell Disease Association of the Midwest for 18 years from 1986 to 2004.  He continued to serve as President of the Board of Directors from 2004 to 2006.

Noah lived a rich, full life of service…service to his family, his country, and  his community. He was an avid reader, an artist, and  a Sunday  School teacher at First African Methodist Episcopal Church when his children were young.

Noah was preceded in death by his daughter LaDonna  Raye Kirkwood and his brothers  Adell Kirkwood Sr. and James Bowland.

He is survived by his son, Eric Uriel Kirkwood; his stepsister, Vedrene Henderson; his former wife, Virginia Kirkwood; and many nieces, nephews, and dear friends.

In lieu of flowers, Noah’s family suggests contributions to the Uriel E. Owens Sickle Cell Disease Association of the Midwest.  ( UEOSCD Association of the Midwest )  444 Minnesota Avenue  Suite 300 Kansas City, Kansas 66101  info@sicklecellmidwest.org     www.sicklecellmidwest.org    ( 913-735-2622).

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