Frank Morris Kirk, of Crockett, Texas, went peacefully to be with his Lord and Savior on April 27, 2025, shortly after his 100th birthday.  Morris was born on April 18, 1925, in Upshur County, Texas to Bartley Lee Kirk and Willie Pearl (York) Kirk.  He graduated as the valedictorian of Union Grove High School near Gladewater, Texas in 1943.

Upon graduation Morris was drafted into the United States Army during World War II.  He served in the 3rd Infantry division fighting for the Anzio brigade south of Rome.  He sustained injuries by enemy artillery in southern France.  Morris was awarded the Purple Heart for his military merit.  He was proud of his service and loved sharing his experiences and stories with everyone.

After returning from the war, Morris attended the University of Texas obtaining a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1949. He worked for a short time in his hometown of Gladewater, then relocated to Houston where he was employed as a certified public accountant for various companies until he partnered into private practice.

It was in Houston where he met the love of his life, Stella Marie Beavers, a Crockett native.  They were married on March 2, 1957.  To this union they were blessed with one son.  They resided in Houston until retirement.

Retiring in 1997, Morris and Marie moved to Crockett to assist in caring for Marie’s mother.  Morris never slowed down. He continued to perpetuate the spirit and traditions of military service.  He was the editor of the official publication of the Society of the Third Infantry Division known as “The Watch on the Rhine”.  He was also a life member of the Society of the 30th Infantry Regiment and he was presented the “Footsie” Britt award acknowledging his efforts.  He and Marie also travelled extensively with their 3rd-division friends.

Morris was an avid sports fan.  He enjoyed coaching his son’s youth football and baseball teams and had season tickets to Texas Longhorn football games for many years.  Morris loved gardening and took the utmost pride in his yard. You could most assuredly find him in his yard daily until his recent health decline.  Morris also loved gospel hymns and made his very own compact discs with collections of his favorites.

Morris was a devoted husband and father, a faithful and generous Christian man, a distinguished WWII veteran, and a true inspiration to all who knew him.  His memory will live in our hearts forever.

Morris is survived by his loving wife of 68 years, Marie Beavers Kirk of Crockett; son, Ron Kirk of Houston; and his sister, Bettie Lou Warlick of Kilgore.

He is preceded in death by his parents, B.L. and Pearl Kirk; brothers, Eugene Kirk and Jesse Kirk; and his sister, Reba Dovie.

A memorial service with Military Honors to celebrate Morris Kirk’s life is to be conducted at two o’clock in the afternoon, on Monday, May 19, 2025, at Good Shepherd Fellowship Church, 401 S. 7th Street in Crockett, with Bro. Leon Wallace officiating the service.  Immediately following the service, all are invited to attend a reception in the church fellowship hall.

Morris will be inurned in the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.

The family would like to give a special thanks to Karla Evans for the enormous amount of generosity and support she had provided to our family over the years; to the numerous neighbors and friends for their invaluable assistance; to the extraordinary private caregivers (Lele, Mary, Ruth, JJ, JW, and Brenda) who lovingly dubbed him as “Poppy”; and the entire staff at Traditions Health Hospice for their excellent care.

Memorial and cremation services for Frank Morris Kirk are in care of Rhone Funeral Home, 3900 S. State Highway 19, Palestine, Texas.  Please visit his online memorial tribute at www.rhonefuneralhome.com, where words of comfort and condolence may be shared electronically with his family.