Obituary of Harry W. Kirkwood

Harry Winter Kirkwood, 84, passed away after a long and distinguished life. He was born July 30, 1924 in Staten Island, NY to the late Henry and Laura Kirkwood of Chelsea, Maine. He served admirably in the skies over Europe as a B-24 navigator during World War II. He flew more than 30 bombing missions over Europe and retired from the US Air Force as a Lt. Colonel. Upon returning from the war, he attended the NY Academy of Aeronautics and then went to work for Curtiss-Wright in Wood Ridge and Caldwell, NJ. As a licensed aircraft mechanic, he also worked part time for the FAA performing service and inspections for private aircraft. Hank was also field and service manager with Thiokol Chemical, Dynastar Labs, Dover, NJ. After that he started his long career in boat sales. He was the East Coast Service Rep for Mercury Marine for 11 years, and then worked for Hockenjos Boats in Lake Hopatcong, NJ and D&R Boats in Green brook, NJ in sales, customer service and parts. Harry was a life member of the Coxsackie American Legion Post 166 Coxsackie, NY. He was a loving husband and father. He married Margaret Nelson on Feb. 5, 1944. Together they built their home and family in Parsippany, NJ where they lived happily until her death on May 19, 1994. In his later years he lived with family in both New Jersey and New York until finally taking up residence at Eden Park Nursing Home in Catskill. NY. He is survived by his daughters Ellen Crane and her husband Arthur of Lake Telemark, NJ and Jane Palmer and her husband Henry of Coxsackie, NY, also four grandchildren Artie and Jeff Crane, Heather Wolodkevich and Crystal Palmer-Bull, and five great grandchildren, Maggie and Joey Wolodkevich, Kelsey and Jackson Bull and Audra Crane. He was predeceased by his sister Bonnie Kennedy and Great granddaughter Alex Bull. Harry’s funeral services will be conducted at Normandean Home for Services 16 Righter Ave., Denville, NJ www.normandean.com, (please light a candle in memory of Harry on web site), on Monday Sept. 22nd at 11:00AM. Interment committal services at Locust Hill Cemetery, Dover, NJ. Relatives and friends will be received on Sunday Sept. 21st from 1:00 to 5:00PM. In lieu of flowers donations to United Cerebral Palsy/Rockaway Housing, 245 Main Street, Chester, NJ 07930 or TreatAnySoldier.com, select Air Force/Afghanistan.