John Gary Kirst

John Kirst has officially played his final round, hung up his cleats, and—thankfully—won’t have to watch the Yankees win another game (he would've hated that). A devoted husband to Nancy, proud dad to Jessica and Zachary (Michelle), and the world’s most entertaining Papa to Quincie, Brennen, Ronan, and Deacon, John lived a life full of laughs, love, and the occasional mulligan.

A proud native of Dunkirk, New York, John eventually retired from Williams Gold, or what the children believed was the CIA because he always worked nights, to North Carolina to escape the snow—only to discover it wasn’t quite warm enough. So, like any man with his priorities straight, he and Nancy made a yearly escape to Florida for two months every winter, proving he was not only wise but seasonally strategic.

In high school, John was an All Catholic, three-sport star—football, baseball, and basketball—and he carried that passion into parenthood, coaching Zack in baseball, but not hockey, because he couldn’t skate, and Jess in basketball and softball. His advice was always solid, whether a skinned knee or broken finger, to rub some dirt on it.  His competitive nature was always on display whether trying to be taller than Zack in family photos or roller racing on the basement floor with Jess.

John and Nancy were also avid cruisers. They celebrated 52 years of marriage in 2024, with a 28-day Mediterranean cruise, followed (because why not?) by a 36-day cruise through Hawaii and Tahiti. No one loved a buffet with a view more than John.

He was happiest with a golf club in hand, a baseball game on TV (as long as it wasn’t those guys), and his family by his side. He had a sharp wit, a soft heart, and a swing that may not have been pretty—but was all his own.

We miss him already, but we know he’s with his infant son, Nathan, somewhere warm, on a perfectly groomed fairway, telling St. Peter why the Yankees are overrated—and asking what time the dinner seating starts.

The family will hold a celebration of life at a later date because it’s exactly what he would not have wanted and the family’s way to get one last laugh.

Mr. Kirst is entrusted to Kelvin F. Lewis, the funeral director, and the Lewis Crematory & Funeral Home staff of Myrtle Beach, SC. (843) 294-0011  

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