Dr. Christopher Kirkpatrick

Dr. Christopher McKee Kirkpatrick, born July 25, 1970, in Evanston, IL, died tragically in Juneau County, Wisconsin, entering eternal life July 14, 2009. Chris was known as "Dr. K" by his patients at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tomah, Wisconsin. Dr. K will be greatly missed by the many veterans who credited him with turning their lives around, or, in some cases, actually saving their lives. Chris was raised in Wilmette, IL and relocated to Evergreen, CO with his family in 1982, returning to the Chicago area in 1990. He attended the Culver Military Academy in Culver, IN, where he developed a love of horses, equitation and the game of polo. He was an Equitation Instructor to children and adults at the Arabian Knights Farms in Clarendon Hills, IL. Chris also coached boxing for adults and youths in the Rogers Park and Northtown neighborhoods of Chicago as a volunteer for the Chicago Park District. In addition, he taught boxing and advanced Muay Thai kickboxing at the Aiki Training Hall in Skokie. Chris himself competed in many boxing matches at the Park West and other venues in the Midwest. At Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, Chris received a B.S. in Clinical Psychology with a minor in Anthropology in 1999. He received several merit based scholarships and was a member of Psi Chi, the national honor society for psychology students. At the University of Chicago, Chicago School Readiness Project, Chris conducted assessments of emotional, behavioral and academic development of preschool children. Chris received an M.A. in Counseling Psychology, 2005 and a doctorate, Psy.D., in Clinical Psychology, 2008 at the Adler School of Professional Psychology, Chicago. In addition, Chris earned a Clinical Hypnosis Certificate and a Clinical Neuropsychology Certificate. He has treated individuals and groups at the following Chicago institutions: North Lawndale Adult Transition Center; Holy Family Ministries Hope Alive After-School Program with youngsters at the Cabrini Green housing project; Saint Leonard's House Ministry - group psychotherapy and anger management therapy; Dreikurs Psychological Services Center - psychotic disorders and autistic spectrum disorders. Chris was a Case Coordinator for Trilogy, Inc., where he developed and implemented planning and case management for mentally ill adults with psychotic spectrum, severe personality disorders and substance abuse. At the Rogers Park Youth Network/Howard Area Community Center, he taught and coordinated support, mentoring and prevention curriculum for at-risk children. For the Northwestern University Medical School Psycholegal Studies Program, Chicago, he was responsible for teaching and interviewing research subjects and their caretakers in the field and in institutions, jails, and prisons. For the Northwestern University Transformation and Community Inclusion Project, Center for Policy Research, Evanston, IL, he collected ethnographic field data for a study of displaced Chicago Housing Authority residents in the Austin neighborhood and projects, including Cabrini Green and Henry Horner Homes. For the Research Triangle Institute, The Cicero Youth Development Project, Cicero, IL, Chris supervised a team of field interviewers involved in study design and implementation of extensive neuropsychological and psychosocial assessment batteries to youths as part of a longitudinal study of causes and consequences of inhalant drug abuse. Chris was a Psychology Intern at the North Chicago VA Medical Center and transferred to the VA Medical Center in Tomah, WI as a resident Psychologist. He was an Affiliate of the American Psychological Association and an Affiliate Member of the Chicago Association for Psychoanalytic Psychology. Chris leaves behind his parents, Gloria Jean and George McKee Kirkpatrick of LaPorte County, Indiana; his sisters, Kathryn Josephine and Mary Frances; three brothers, Brian Keith, Colin Flinn and Sean Casey; a niece, Riley Lynn; two nephews, Conor McKee and Peter Ivan; his longtime girlfriend, Kelly Williams; in addition to his uncle Don; great aunt Virginia; many cousins; and dogs Olive and Kali. Chris will be deeply missed by everyone who knew him.