Matthew Dale Kirby

1976 - 2016

Matthew Dale Kirby 1976—2016
Matthew Dale Kirby was born October 9, 1976, in Springfield, Missouri. He died in his sleep in his home in Rockford, Illinois, on July 25, 2016, at the age of 39. After a lifetime of kidney disease, including three kidney transplants and years of dialysis, his heart finally gave out. Matt is survived by his beautiful daughter, Willow, age six, of Rockford; Willow' s mom, Maggie Smith of Rockford; parents, Bruce (Cheri) Kirby and brother, Reed, all of Springfield, Missouri; as well as aunts, uncles and cousins who loved Matt and will miss him so much. Matt underwent surgeries, transplants and dialysis from before the age of one year through his death. He was the bravest patient a kid and young man could be. The family would especially like to thank all of the staff of Children's Mercy Hospital of Kansas City and The University Hospital of Wisconsin at Madison for providing great medical treatment that kept him going for all these years. Despite his physical challenges, Matt was an achiever. He graduated from Rogersville High School, got a BS in Psychology from The University of Wisconsin-Greenbay and a Masters Degree in Special Education from Northern Illinois University. He spent the last 16 years teaching and providing encouragement to disabled young students. He considered his first job to be a Dad; and no little girl had a more loving father than little Willow. We didn't see Matt teach, so the family would like to share his last job evaluation from his superiors: "Reviewer Comments: Mr. Kirby joined the NIA team in June of 2015. He took over a classroom that was unstable and had poor morale. Within his first week teaching, each staff member who worked in that classroom made it a point to tell me what a fantastic teacher Mr. Kirby is and what a joy it was to have him in that classroom. Since that time, rarely does a week go by when a member of NIA doesn't express to me what a wonderful teacher Mr. Kirby is. Over the past year, Mr Kirby's students have had opportunities to read, write, create science projects, learn about the world, go on adventures, create art, and a million other fun activities. Mr Kirby happily differentiates all his lessons to be enjoyable, even magical, for his students, most of whom are severely disabled. One of Mr. Kirby's student's test scores rose two grade levels during the 2015 – 2016 school year. Mr. Kirby is more than a great teacher, he is simply a wonderful human being. He brings light and fun to a group of severely disabled children and genuinely enjoys the time he spends in the classroom. Mr. Kirby is a model for what other teachers should be at NIA and in any school across the country."
A Celebration of Life Memorial to be held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 30, 2016, at Christenson Funeral Home, 925 3rd Avenue, Rockford. Cremation rites accorded. In lieu of flowers, memorials to Childrens Mercy Hospital of Kansas City or Ronald McDonald House. www.rockfordfunerals.com