Meldon C. Kirk (Mel) 

Cremation Center of Kansas City

Meldon C. Kirk (Mel) died unexpectedly on January 21, 2021 at the family home in Overland Park, Kansas.  A celebration of life will be scheduled at a future date.  No funeral service is scheduled at this time.  Burial arrangements are pending. Mel was born October 29, 1932, in Gentry, Arkansas.  His parents were Martin Luther Kirk and Josephine (McElligott) Kirk.  The Kirk family moved to Kansas City, Missouri, in 1941.  Mel attended Hale Cook Elementary School, Ruhl Hartman High School, and graduated from Southwest High School in 1949.  He received an AA Degree from Kansas City Junior College in 1951, a BBA Degree from the University of Kansas City in 1961 and an MBA Degree from the University of Missouri at Kansas City in 1966. Mel Married Carrie Mae Klinkenberg at Basehor, Kansas on July 27, 1952, and they finished growing up together.  He insisted that his marriage was the wisest thing he ever did, and he considered the Klinkenbergs as his second family. In 1953, Mel was drafted into the U. S. Army.  He completed basic training at Camp Roberts, California on the day the Korean Armistice was signed, and was assigned to Fort Richardson, Alaska until his discharge as Staff Sergeant in February of 1955. Mel was Bursar of the University of Kansas City in 1962-63, and was instrumental in merging UKC into the University of Missouri system as UMKC in July of 1963.  He was a Contract Administrator for Midwest Research Institute from late 1963 to 1966.  Between late 1966 and late 1978 Mel was a Senior Consultant for Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co (now KPMG) in New York City, and Associate Executive Director and Treasurer of the American Library Association in Chicago, Illinois.  He was also co-owner of the Illinois Stock Transfer Company in Chicago from mid-1974 through 1977.  Mel’s longest employment was twelve years, when he returned to Midwest Research Institute (now MRI Global) in late 1978 in a new position as Director of Administration.  He began with an administrative staff of 154 and through attrition, automation and revised policies and procedures, he ended with an administrative staff of 102 at his retirement in November of 1990. He retired as Executive Director of Administration and, after 1985, he also served as Treasurer. Mel was very active in civic affairs and organizations. In 1996, Mel published a book of original poetry.  He served as chairman or as a member of a number of committees for the Heart of America United Way between 1979 and 1996.  At Carrie’s urging, he joined her as a member of the League of Women Voters in 1981. He       served as Treasurer of the League of Women Voters of Johnson County 1982-1986, and Treasurer of the League of Women Voters of Kansas 1994-1996.  He held a number of positions in the Hawthorne Terrace Homes Association from 1995 to 2008 and from 2012 to 2016 he was Secretary of the Hawthorne Community Master Association.  He was a life member of the Financial Executives Institute, a Bronze Life Master duplicate bridge player, and an active member of the Leawood United Methodist Church. Mel was preceded in death by his son, Stephen Clark Kirk, and by his parents, a sister, three brothers, all of his aunts and uncles, and all of his first cousins.  He is survived by his wife, two sons and their families: David Charles Kirk (Kim) and his daughter, Mallory Rose Kirk of Prairie Village, Kansas, and Lawrence Allen Kirk and his sons Wiley James Kirk, Van Paul Kirk and Walker Allen Kirk, all of Overland Park, Kansas.  He is also survived by four nieces and two nephews.   Memorial Contributions In lieu of flowers, donations to the Leawood United Methodist Church Memorial Fund are suggested.

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Meldon C. Kirk (Mel) Obituary | Cremation Center of Kansas City