Lewis S. Coonley Jr. ’68

Kirk died Nov. 27, 2020, in Colorado Springs, Colo., of hairy cell leukemia at age 74. 

He was born in Troy, N.Y., and attended St. George’s School in Middletown, R.I., where he learned sailing. At Princeton Kirk majored in geological engineering and was active in junior varsity hockey, the Glee Club, and the Princeton Engineer. He graduated cum laude. Kirk ate at Terrace and was a member of Alpha Phi Omega. He earned a master’s degreee in sanitary engineering from UNC-Chapel Hill, where he met Linda Murphy and married her in 1970. 

He served in the Army MSC from 1970 to 1976. He was a consulting engineer at Burns & McDonnell in Kansas City, Mo., then a civil and special projects engineer for the city of Overland Park, Kan., retiring in 2008, but working part time for Affinis Corp. until 2011. In retirement, he was a dedicated AARP tax aide volunteer.

Kirk’s travels included all 50 states, Guam, Puerto Rico, Canada, the Rhine River, England, and Scotland. The family loved its vacation home in Colorado, where Kirk pursued his passion for mountain hiking.

Kirk is survived by his wife of 50 years, Linda; daughter Jana Blake; son Daniel; four grandchildren; and sister Leah Westmoreland. To them, the class extends its profound sympathies.