Dick was born June 7, 1927, in Brooklyn, the son of Francis and Estelle (Farrell) Kirwin.
He attended Columbia High School in Maplewood, N.J., after which he served for two years in the Army. At Princeton he earned his bachelor’s degree from the Woodrow Wilson School, roomed with Walter Kissinger, and belonged to Tower Club.
After graduation, Dick worked for Connecticut General Life Insurance for seven years and was a group manager when he left to Join Frank B. Hall & Co., insurance brokers. F.B. Hall had 200 employees in those days, but 7,500 when he retired as senior vice president after more than 20 years of service.
The principal support of his mother and a brother, Dick never married. A serious bridge player, he also was responsible for building and operating a community greenhouse for some 160 families in Maplewood that became a civic center for many activities in addition to horticultural affairs. In 2005 he moved to Clover, S.C., to care for a disabled nephew and his family.
Dick died Aug. 29, 2010, after a long illness. He is survived by his nephews, Robert, Tim, and John; and John’s wife, Jenny Kirwin.