KIRKWOOD
Albert Kirkwood was born on May 27, 1923 in Ballynagappoge, County Down, Northern Ireland. He was the third of four children born to William and Liza Kirkwood (nee Blakely). As a child he was very fond of his grandmother and stayed with her often. She would take him along to visit her friends and he often told of listening to them telling ghost stories in front of the fire before a long walk home in the dark. In 1942 he joined the Royal Air Force and served in Southeast Asia as a radio operator. After the war he joined the Royal Ulster Constabulary and served in various posts in Northern Ireland. Having itchy feet, he resigned from the RUC to emigrate to Canada. In Toronto he found work with Eatons before joining the Toronto Police and the Masonic Lodge. Soon he was on the move again to Alberta where he joined the police in Calgary. In the early 1950's he returned to Northern Ireland and spent some time with his family before embarking on a trip with two other Irishmen. They bought a Ford shooting brake, painted a map of their intended route on the bonnet and drove it across Europe, the Middle East and India all the way down to Malaya where they sold the vehicle and took passage to Australia. While in India the trio was invited to spend a few nights in Nehru's palace. Before long he was back in Alberta where he joined the Highway Patrol and served all over the province. He transferred to the Fish and Wildlife department and served in Oyen, Stettler and Fort Chipewyan among other places. Along the way he was married twice but did not have any children. After retiring from Fish and Wildlife in the early 80's he lived in Red Deer and Stettler and travelled back to Ireland to visit his family and visited his old stamping grounds in Burma. He was a devoted Mason, member of the Royal Canadian Legion and parishioner of St George's Anglican church in Stettler. Albert died at quarter past seven o’clock in the evening of January 30, 2011 at Centennial Centre in Ponoka, Alberta. He was predeceased by his parents, William and Liza, his brothers Willy John and Thomas Bruce and his brother in law. Survived by his sister Evelyn Jeffers and his sisters in law, Joan and Nan and his nieces and nephews; William Thomas Bruce Kirkwood, Joan Elizabeth Mary Young (nee Kirkwood), Albert James Kirkwood, Clyde Alexander Kirkwood, Colin Thompson Kirkwood, Christopher John Kirkwood, Pamela Margaret Holmes (nee Kirkwood) Nigel Jeffers, Gail Thompson (nee Jeffers), Karen Jeffers, Lisa Jeffers and Mark Jeffers and many friends. A funeral for the late Mr. Albert Kirkwood will be held at St. George's Anglican Church in Stettler at 2 o'clock, Friday Feb 18, 2011. His cremated remains will be taken back to Ireland to be sprinkled on his grandmother's grave in Ballynagappoge. He was one of life's characters. Memorial donations in memory of Albert gratefully accepted to The Royal Canadian Legion Branch #59 or a charity of choice c/o Stettler Funeral Home & Crematorium Box 1780 Stettler, Alberta T0C 2L0 who were entrusted with the care and arrangements.