Gayle Kirkman's Obituary
Lois Gayle Pitcher Kirkman (87), beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away quietly at her home on June 16, 2023. It was 2 days after her 67th anniversary with the love of her life.
Born May 20, 1936, to Adrian and Virginia Pitcher in Salt Lake City, Utah, she lived in the Salt Lake area until age 10 when the family moved to Idaho. Since Gayle was an only child, she was grateful for her many cousins who were so dear to her.
Gayle graduated from Twin Falls High School in 1954. She later went on to study at BYU where her college roommates, LaWynn Murphy and Colleen Boulter became so dear to her that they became family. Their families stayed connected throughout the years.
Her high school sweetheart, Jim, volunteered for the draft with a couple of friends. Jim and a friend checked the box to join the Army, and the other friend checked the box for the Navy. So of course, the two that selected Army were sent to the Navy, and the one who selected Navy was sent to the Army. Jim went into boot camp in March 1956.
Gayle and James Dale Kirkman (Jim) were sealed together in the Salt Lake Temple on June 14, 1956, when he came home on leave after boot camp.
On the day they were married, Gayle was a little irritated that Jim’s parents rode with them on the drive down from Idaho to Salt Lake City, but that turned out to be a good thing. Since Jim was only 19 he was considered “under age” and his parents had to sign permission for him to get married. But Gayle, who was 5 months older, was an adult.
Jim and Gayle lived in Long Beach, California while Dad was in the Navy. It was while Dad was deployed in the West Pacific that Mom was nearing the due date of their first child, so she moved back to her parent's home in Twin Falls to be near family. Their first daughter, Lyn, was born in October. Dad didn’t get to meet his new daughter until a couple of months later when he finished his time in the service in December of 1957. Soon they were blessed with another daughter, Kim. In 1961 they moved from Pocatello, Idaho to Salt Lake City, Utah, where their family grew again with the addition of two sons, Rian and Roger.
Sometime around 1964 Jim and Gayle started getting together with some friends from the East Millcreek Ward for dinner each month. They called it Supper Club. It had 13 members, and it was a cherished tradition that continued for decades. With Gayle’s passing, there are now 11 Supper Club members who have passed on, leaving only 2 Supper Club members still down here.
In 1971 Jim, Gayle, and the kids moved to Bountiful where they raised the family and set down roots for many years. Gayle worked as a Medical Assistant for over 38 years in the offices of Dr. Glenn Gold and Dr. Rodney Jex where she made lifelong friends with both of their families as well as with many of the patients. Dr. Jex recently shared this memory with the family, “I remember so very well the day Dr. Gold and I interviewed Gayle. I was impressed by her willingness to learn new skills. I have thought about that interview many times over the years.”
She was a loving and devoted wife and mother and a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where she served in many capacities over the years.
Gayle was preceded in death by her parents, Adrian and Virginia Pitcher. She is survived by her husband, Jim, daughter, Lyn Kirkman, daughter, Kim (Dusty) Martin, son, Rian (Sue) Kirkman, son, Roger (Julie) Kirkman, 11 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren, and 2 more expected this fall.
Mom’s vision of a perfect day would be to have all of her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids joining her and Dad on a beautiful summer day at Redfish Lake, Idaho, and finishing the day with stories around the campfire and rootbeer floats.
The family would like to thank the staff at Summit Assisted Living and the AFI Hospice team for their kind and thoughtful care.
A graveside service will be held to honor her life on July 1, 2023, at 11:30 am at the Wellsville City Cemetery, 400 N 200 E, Wellsville, UT
Flowers and messages can be sent directly to the Wellsville City Cemetery the day of the services. No glass vases at the cemetery please.
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