Kirk Shrewsbury's Obituary
James Kirk Shrewsbury went home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on February 17, 2025, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the age of 73. Kirk was born on December 6, 1951, in Sentinel, Oklahoma, to Harry James Shrewsbury and Marion Lou Allred Shrewsbury (later Marion Scott).
A graduate of Harvard College, Kirk was a lifetime learner. He was known for consuming tomes of information and being able to recall the things he read in intricate detail. No matter what subject you raised with Kirk, you were sure to leave the conversation more informed than when you began. A computer engineer by trade, Kirk was a biologist at heart with a particular love of herpetology (the study of snakes). He published research on snake behavior while still in high school and owned untold numbers of snakes as pets over the course of his life. Kirk was also a versatile musician. He played the guitar, lute, and mandolin and had a beautiful voice. He knew enough piano to teach several of his grandchildren, with his lessons including as much music theory as technique. In his later years, he enjoyed attending Renaissance festivals in full costume with his lute.
The day after graduating from college in 1974, Kirk married Linda Shrewsbury, who remained his wife for over 30 years. Kirk and Linda raised three children – Nathan, Prisca, and Joanna – and share eleven grandchildren. Many of Kirk and Linda’s decisions over the years were based on their common desire that their children would embrace their Christian faith, and they were deeply gratified that all three of their children are walking with the Lord and raising their own children to do the same.
Although Kirk’s professional career was mainly spent with computers, he took a seven-year break from the world of technology to found Southern Baptists for Life, with the goals of persuading the Southern Baptist Convention to adopt an officially pro-life stance and increasing pro-life knowledge and conviction throughout the denomination. The SBC is now so widely known for its pro-life position that many may not remember the days when Kirk’s faithful service was pivotal in the organization’s taking that direction.
Kirk's professional journey eventually took him to Georgia, where he met Beverly Shrewsbury. They married on June 29, 2015, in Fayetteville, Georgia. Kirk and Beverly were faithful companions who valued each other’s company. They especially enjoyed traveling to state parks, visiting Civil War battlefields and cemeteries, hunting for deals, sharing meals at their favorite restaurants and, of course, attending Renaissance fairs!
In Kirk’s final years, he returned to Tulsa to be closer to his children and grandchildren, who knew him as Pappy.
Kirk was preceded in death by his parents, Harry James Shrewsbury and Marion Scott. He is survived by his wife Beverly Shrewsbury and stepson Steven Hite; former wife Linda Shrewsbury; sister Karen Mackey; son Nathan Shrewsbury and wife Lorna and their children Kyra and Jonah; daughter Prisca LeCroy and husband Colin and their children Celia, Lydia, Evangeline, Miriam, Susanna, and Porter; and daughter Joanna Shrewsbury and her children Elizabeth, Michael, and Josephine.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at 10:00 AM at Floral Haven Funeral Home. Interment will take place at Floral Haven Memorial Gardens - Garden of Good Shepherd
Thank you for honoring Kirk today with your presence. Immediately following this service, we will gather at Kirk’s graveside to commit his body and, afterward, at Christian Chapel (7807 E. 76th Street) to share lunch and memories of Kirk.
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