Burl G. Kirkland

A Celebration of Life for Burl G. Kirkland will be held Saturday, October 21, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. in the Carroway Funeral Home Chapel at 2704 South John Redditt Drive, Lufkin, Texas 75904. Following the service, the family will welcome friends at a reception in the Carroway Family Reception Room.

Burl Kirkland, 91, was born July 16, 1932 in Lufkin, Texas to the late Lillie and W.W. Kirkland, and died Sunday, October 1, 2023 in Lufkin, Texas. He placed his trust in Jesus Christ as his Lord. Due to the evidence of his life in Christ, we have confidence that he is with the Lord in heaven.

Mr. Kirkland attended Lufkin schools and played trumpet in the band, the Rhythm Masters & the Rhythm 7. Through one of those band activities he met Mary Ann Hampton. Burl graduated from LHS in 1949. Burl and Mary Ann were married in 1951. He enlisted in the Air Force, rising to rank of staff sergeant as a radio school instructor in Biloxi, Mississippi and then stationed in Greenland as a radio operator. After four years in the Air Force, they returned home to Lufkin, where Burl began work at Gipson Funeral Home at night while attending SFASU during the day. Burl graduated SFASU with a double major in Math and Physics. Following graduation, Burl was employed by RCA at Patrick AFB in Florida where he was a lead mathematician performing pre-flight and post-flight calculations for launches from both Atlantic and Pacific missile ranges.

In 1963, he accepted a position at NASA in Houston as an aerospace engineer. He was instrumental in developing the launch escape system and heat shield for the Apollo program. His name is imprinted on microfiche inside a time capsule left on the moon by the crew of Apollo 11. Burl was later tasked to redesign the descent trajectories for Apollo 15 through Apollo 17. Following Apollo, Burl managed the flight crew equipment prepack facility for the space shuttle program until his retirement in 1989. Soon after, Burl began working for McDonnell-Douglas in Houston as a senior principal engineer responsible for planning, coordinating, and documenting the results of the systems reviews for Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA). After eight years, he retired again in1997. He counted it a privilege to have a part in the nation’s space program.

After retirement, Burl and Mary Ann moved back to the area where they were raised in Lufkin.

For many years, Burl and Mary Ann thoroughly enjoyed being involved in their church wherever they were. Usually the music program was their favorite place to serve, with Burl periodically serving as choir director and worship leader.

Survivors include his sons and daughters-in-law, Roland and Kathy Kirkland of Azle, Wayne and Tami Kirkland of Murphy; grandchildren, Ryan Kirkland and wife Christy of Hurst, Jeffrey Kirkland of Dallas, Ben Kirkland and wife Ann of Murphy, Andrew Kirkland and wife Annye of Plano; ten great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Vivian Hampton of Iowa; brother-in-law, Delbert Parrott of Lufkin; and numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Burl loved and was deeply devoted to all of his family. He was preceded in death by his wife of almost 70 years, Mary Ann; his parents; brother, Culbert; brothers and sisters-in-law, W.A. and Addie, Ernest and Virginia, Lloyd and Lois, Wiley and Margie, and sister, Ivaline Parrott.

A family graveside service will be held in the Elwyn M. Gipson Memorial Chapel in the Garden of Memories Memorial Park with Reverend Mark A. Newton officiating, with interment following the service.

Honorary pallbearers will be Ryan Kirkland, Jeffrey Kirkland, Ben Kirkland, Andrew Kirkland, Ken Kirkland, Bert McKinney, George Shimer, Jody Boeving, Cliff Born, Bud Maddux, J.T. Hampton, and John Hancock.

Memorial contributions may be made to CHRIST Ministries of Texas online at christministriesoftexas.org or to the ministry of your choice.

Memories and condolences may be added at www.carrowayfuneralhome.com.

Carroway Funeral Home, Lufkin, directors.