Robert William Kirkness passed away suddenly at home Thursday June 16, 2022.
He was born January 4, 1952 in Sudbury Ontario the son of William Frank KIrkness and DIane Kirkness (nee Lacuyer). He had one younger sister Sharilynn Dale Kirkness (Kenneth Moss). He was proud to be Métis like his father and to be strong like his father. He grew up happily in the mining town of Levack , Ontario where his father was employed at the mine and his mother was a stay at home mom. He loved sports and hockey was his favourite game. He had many heroes in the NHL especially Bobby Orr and the Boston Bruins. He became a good player himself. Unfortunately he had a car accident in grade 11 that caused damage to his legs, and he had to quit playing. But hr carried on with his other hobbies :being outside with nature…fishing, photography, hunting, and hiking.
He attended the University of Western Ontario and graduated with a BSc in Mathematics. He then attended the University of Guelph and graduated with both a BSc in Wildlife Biology and a P.Eng in civil engineering. His first job was planning subdivisions in the Credit River Valley where he hated to see nature giving way to roads and houses. His second job was a dream job with Ducks Unlimited in Yorkton Saskatchewan, where he was able to support nature. He retired from his third job in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan with the Saskatchewan provincial government water security agency in ground water services; and here he felt he was able to make a difference for nature in the province for future generations.
On February 22, 1985 he married Suzanne Downie born October 25, 1952 (nee Downie)a registered nurse from Hamilton. They lived in Yorkton at 461 Mountview Road; and then Moose Jaw at 161 Wood Lily Drive; and then in 2019 retired to the Bay of Quinte area in Ontario on Lake Ontario at 8988 Loyalist Parkway, Hwy 33 Bath.
He is survived by his mother in Dowling Ontario.
Rob and Su raised three children: Jeffrey Gordon Downie, Katharine Elizabeth Kirkness and Michael William Harry Kirkness. Rob was Grampa to seven grandchildren in Kingston, Ontario and Erikson, British Columbia. Jeff married Krista Sheppard and has three children: Dylan Downie, Taylor Downie, and Jakob Downie. Mike married Andrea Burnham and has four children: Madeleine Kirkness, Samuel KIrkness, Jude Kirkness and Emma KIrkness. Rob was very proud of all of his children and grandchildren.
Rob was very pleased to have two nephews on the Kirkness side, sons of Shari and Ken Moss; Tyler married Michelle Giles and has two children Madison and Logan. Andrew married Veronique Niesing and has two children Jacob and Leo.
Rob joined a large family on the Downie side. Su has two sisters Sandra Jean Ferguson- Escott (Wally Escott) and their three children Alexander Ferguson (Michelle Durdle) Joshua Ferguson (Kate Leppington) and Ashey Escott McDonald (Teddy McDonald) and eight great nieces and nephews Morgan, Ainslie, and Charlotte Ferguson, Evelyn, Olivia, and Jaxon Leppington, William Ferguson and Monty McDonald; and Janet Lynn Hainsworth (Tony Volpe) and children Robert Hainsworth (Tabitha Lewis)and Mary Hainsworth(Richard Bremner). Su has one brother James Alexander Downie who has two children Nicole (Luke Antrim) and James Jr. (Courtney Suttie) with four nieces Riley, Emersyn,and Finnley Antrim and Ava Downie and one nephew Beckett Antrim.
He was predeceased by his beloved father Frank KIrkness and father-in-law Harry Downie and mother-in-law Mary Downie.
Rob was a very busy person…up at 6, to bed at 11. He loved to be outdoors and was making a difference at his acreage; landscaping, planting trees, and growing his garden. He loved all the creatures that inhabited the land with him. He fed the birds, kept his sighting list and could identify most songs. He chased many a curious bird, rabbit, squirrel and chipmunk out of his garage. He was always consulting an identification book of some kind. He bought a spotting scope and kept track of the ships on the lake sailing by. He loved music and played his guitar. He loved tools and had quite a collection. He loved to build anything especially out of wood. His house is full of the furniture he made and refinished; and at every home he left the renovations, sheds and fences he built behind. He loved to fix things and make them last longer, sometimes long past their expiration date. He loved his truck, his garden tractor and his boat and hated to trust his vehicles to any mechanic except himself. He was an avid reader of mystery and action books. His hero was Rebus. He followed genealogy and could trace his family back to the Orkney Islands. He revelled in information and was an enthusiastic internet surfer and You Tube how-to watcher. He was an enthusiastic eater and was venturing into international cuisine. He loved to fish and was looking forward to many years of perch dinners. He looked forward to have time to visit his children and grandchildren. Retirement suited Rob.
Rob had a very full and fulfilling life, but it ended much too soon. We will miss him dearly.
Arrangements have been entrusted in Wartman Funeral Home, Napanee. A Celebration in memory of Robert to be held at a later date.
For those who wish to make a memorial donation please choose a nature related charity. Rob supported Ducks Unlimited, the Canadian Wildlife Fund, Nature Conservancy and Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre (8749 2, Napanee, ON K7R 3L1). Online condolences may be forwarded through wartmanfueralhomes.com
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Robert William Kirkness Thursday June 16th 2022..
Death notice for the town of: Napanee, Province: Ontario