Ever since we started The Lead, I’ve been thinking about how we can add obituaries. For many people, obituaries are the first thing they read in the morning newspaper, and we’re going to make an effort to pick up as many obituaries as possible from our Kerr County mortuaries. As I was reading through three obituaries today, the lives of David Kirk, Beto Guzman and Gaye Janice needed greater exploration and context.
Kirk and Janice were prime examples of people who appeared to give back as much as they could to Kerrville.
Kirk ushered at First Presbyterian Church and volunteered at Peterson Hospice and Christian Assistance Ministry. Service seemed to help define him — at least, that’s what I gleaned from his obituary. He also dedicated himself to learning more about law enforcement in his later years — participating in the citizens’ academies run by the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office and the Kerrville Police Department.
And Kirk’s family asked that donations go to First Presbyterian, Hill Country Youth Ranch or the Masonic Lodge.
Janice was a devoted regular at Zion Lutheran Church, but she was equally faithful to volunteering at Raphael Clinic. An avid traveler, Janice and her husband Paul, who died in 2011, traveled to all 50 states.
Finally, we had Beto Guzman, 86, who went into the Navy at 17 during the Korean War and spent his retirement years teaching at a barber college in San Antonio.
Most importantly, the impact of these three people’s lives affected 59 direct descendants and heirs. How they will be remembered will be up to those descendants, but it’s hard to imagine they will be forgotten:
To read more, visit our Obituary section at The Lead: https://kerrcountylead.com/obituary/
