James O. Kirkendall

1954 - 2015

James Oliver "Ollie" Kirkendall passed away suddenly of natural causes on Aug. 27, 2015. Our hearts are grieved to have lost a beloved son, father, brother and friend. Ollie was born in Anchorage, Alaska, where he lived most of his life. Out of five children by Trudy and William Kirkendall, he was the only boy. Thus, he was by default the "favorite son/brother/grandson," but he also earned the title with his uncommon wit, kindness, talents and generosity of spirit. He was known for his strong work ethic and his disarming sense of humor. Ollie graduated from Dimond High School in 1972 and played basketball for the Dimond Lynx. He attended college at Sheldon Jackson College in Sitka, Alaska, and Northwestern Michigan College. While in Michigan, he met the mother of his children, whom he was married to for 23 years. They made their home in Anchorage and Ollie worked on the Slope during the throes of the Pipeline era, but he ultimately followed in his Dad's footsteps in the electrician profession and was a member of IBEW. He finished his degree at UAA later in life and worked at Arco for 22 years, and most recently at ACS for the past 10 years. By far, his highest achievement was raising his two children into admirable adults, Brian and Sarah Kirkendall. He was especially proud of them and they shared their mutual love and admiration openly. They were truly the apple of his eye and he proudly followed their successes: Brian, serving as 1st Class Petty Officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, and Sarah as she graduated college and advanced in her career. Ollie is survived by his mother, Trudy Kirkendall; daughter, Sarah Anne Kirkendall; son, Brian James Kirkendall and wife, Nicole of Virginia Beach, Va.; sisters. Linda Eliason, Hally Kirkendall, Leola Monfrey and Gayle Kirkendall; nieces, Callie Monfrey and Kathleen Monfrey and daughter, Rose; and nephew, Jason Eliason and wife, Mary of Portland, Ore. A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2015, from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. at the Kincaid Park Chalet (9401 Raspberry Rd., Anchorage, AK 99502). In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Coast Guard Foundation (coastguardfoundation.com), the NRA (nra.org) or the James Kirkendall Memorial Fund (AlaskaUSA #1981957).