Kirk was and is a gift to us all. In his professional life he was above all a healer, commanding the physical therapy department at Oak Knoll Naval Hospital in Oakland. In his retirement, he shared a unique sense of our place in the world through his poetry, stories, and wisdom. A healer once again. Kirk helped found Pleasanton’s Poet Laureate program and develop it into a nationally recognized organization that underscored the importance of the arts to our community. But it was in those community poetry readings where Kirk’s true gifts were shared: individuals reading their work, sharing feelings and insights that could not otherwise be expressed. There, there was where Kirk’s most profound power and gifts were quietly bestowed upon us. Over the last several years Kirk faced increasingly difficult physical challenges. He faced them with incredible courage and an equanimity that was astonishing. Often, as we talked over the phone, usually on our respective birthdays, Kirk would return to the subject of gratitude and its power to help us face life’s difficulties. Those discussions will stay with me always. That was Kirk’s gift to me. I am so grateful for having him as my dear friend. Andy Jorgensen White Oaks, New Mexico