Jean Bailey Kirk

Jean Bailey Kirk

Tupelo- Jean Bailey Kirk was born on September 12, 1931, and passed away peacefully and surrounded by family at her family farm, Quail Hills, in Coffeeville, MS.

Even though she was born during the depression, she would say that she had an idyllic childhood growing up in her beloved hometown of Coffeeville. She was an identical twin with her sister Joan Bailey, and the “Bailey twins” were well known for inheriting their mother Catherine’s beauty and grace and their father John’s adventurous spirit.

She attended Stephens College in Columbia, MO, for two years before transferring and graduating from Ole Miss, where she made many lifelong friends as a member of the Chi Omega sorority. She then taught 2nd grade in Philadelphia, PA while her husband Dr. Bob Kirk was in medical school and surgical residency at the University of Pennsylvania.

In 1960, they moved back to Tupelo, where she would live for most of the rest of her life, except for a few years in both Jackson and Oxford, MS, where she greatly enjoyed being a housemother at both the Kappa Delta and Sigma Chi houses at Ole Miss.

Her greatest joy was her family. She is survived by three sons and one daughter: Bob Kirk of Destin, FL, John Kirk and wife, Tina, of Coffeeville, MS, Kevin Kirk of Saltillo, MS and Kathy Cook and husband, Kenny, of Tupelo, along with grandchildren Bailey and Josh Kirk and Haley and Noah Cook. She also had many nieces and nephews whom she loved. She is also survived by her twin sister Joan, with whom she shared the special bond that twins have.

She was a lifelong member of the First United Methodist Churches of both Coffeeville and Tupelo. She also enjoyed being a member of the Forthian Book Club and the Hoe and Hope Garden Club. Her closest lifelong friends were members of the “Sewing Club,” that met every Tuesday for over 50 years, and never, we think, sewed Anything!

Visitation will be 10 a.m. until service time Saturday, November 25, 2023, at Pegues, Tupelo.

A memorial service will be 12 p.m. Saturday, November 25, 2023, at the Jefferson Street Chapel of Pegues with Rev. Rusty Keen officiating. There will be a graveside service for family at a later date in Coffeeville.

Honorary pallbearers are her 3 grandsons, and a few of the many friends of her sons who considered her to be a second mom to them: Roger Lawson, Mike Gibson, Mark Monts, Jeff Wiygul, and Presly Wallace.

The family is grateful for the incredibly kind and wonderful staff of Baptist Home Care and Hospice of Oxford, and mom’s caregiver Barbara Lee, for their wonderful love and care of our mom in her last month.

The family requests that any kind memorials sent in our mom’s memory be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association of America, or to the Tunica Humane Society, where she rescued her dog Bailey (already named Bailey!), who was a sweet source of joy and companionship to her in her last years.

Expressions of sympathy and fond memories may be made at PeguesFuneralHome.com.