<VV> John Kirkman's Passing

[movair at aol.com]

     Since 1989, I have been very fortunate to know and call John and Yvonne Kirkman good friends of mine. That was the first year that I joined Corvair Atlanta and CORSA. Shortly after that, I learned that we lived only a few miles apart and we would become fast friends. Many a weekend I would go to their home, where John and I would work on a Corvair. Either one of his, one he was working on for someone, or help me with a problem I had with mine. Other times, I would go just to visit with him and Yvonne and spend some quality time with my friends. 


     John had a vast knowledge of Corvairs. As much as I thought I knew, I learned a lot from John. He was always helpful. Showed me a few tricks on repairs and one time brought me a fuel pump 60 miles from his home because mine had failed and I was stranded. We traveled to many places here in Georgia to deliver, pick up, or go look at another Corvair. I've been told many times that I could smell a Corvair just driving down some old two lane blacktop. I think John could too, for there were quite a few times we would spot one in a driveway, under a tree in someone's yard, or elsewhere. Sometimes we would stop and check it out, sometimes not. But we would see them just the same.


     Summer of 2013, at the request of Yvonne, Bill Rudolph and myself set out to try to liquidate John's collection of cars and parts. His health had been failing him for sometime. No longer was he the robust man that many of us who knew him used to be. My last visit with him, he was not very talkative. He did speak to me for a few minutes, but his attention span was short. For two months, Bill and I worked to sell off restoreable cars, parts cars, and a basement and out building of parts. It proved to be quite a task! At one time, John had 160+ Corvairs in his back yard. Now, all are gone, save for a couple that still have to be collected by their new owners.


     Johns' other interests included HAM radio, a hobby he enjoyed since the age of 15. His radio room in the basement included all sorts of equipment, both civilian and military surplus. He also dabbled in old clocks, though I never saw him work on one, he had many.


      I shall miss my dear friend John Kirkman. May God's love touch Yvonne and keep her near to His heart in this difficult time and keep her strong in the coming days. To those of us who knew John through the Corvair hobby, wish him peaceful rest and hold Yvonne close in their prayers.










                            Kelly Parker
                          Corvair Atlanta