Obituary of Rodney L. Kirkwold

Rodney “Rod” L. Kirkwold (August 7, 1946 – September 5, 2022) performed his last act of giving on September 5, 2022.  He left behind a son, Jeff Kirkwold, who lives with his wife Michelle Kirkwold in Crystal, Minnesota; three grandchildren, Gage, Annika and Brecken, whom he loved beyond measure; and stepsiblings Janet and Sherman.  He is preceded in death by his mother, Alice; father, Clarence; stepmother, Dagmar; and son, Ryan.  

Rod died a profoundly loved and respected man. 

Rod’s life proved that a man’s worth isn’t measured in what he collects but in what he gives.  He was a man of service.  He was a man of conviction.  He was a man of honor and integrity.  Beyond that, Rod was generous with his time, humble, loving, and extraordinarily caring.  Rod served his country in the Army branch of the Armed Forces and went on to become a carpenter, providing shelter, safety and community for others well beyond his career’s lifespan.  As if a type-cast character in a play, Rod stepped from one service to another after retirement from the University of St Thomas.  Seamlessly, he went from providing for students on campus to serving others in his community.  He put his heart into everything he did:  whether helping a friend in need, assisting with the build of the house which his son’s family ultimately calls home, picking up food for the local food shelves, volunteering at his church or serving/bartending for others at community nights.  There wasn’t a need Rod wouldn’t try to fill or a cause Rod wouldn’t strive to support.  His easy-going nature, truly pure heart, and quick wit immediately endeared him to everyone he met.

If the true measure of a man is his heart, then Rod was a giant of a man.  The number of lives Rod touched/improved is immeasurable.  Rod was immensely proud of and dearly loved his son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren – for whom he would invent creative reasons to spend time with.  He felt he needed to teach them to fish, give their parents a break, or use them to find the best mini-golf course in town.  He fiercely protected his “Thursdays with Grandpa” when he would spend one whole day each week every summer with his grandchildren treating them to Davanni’s Pizza, finding new parks to play in, and new Dairy Queens to visit.  During the rest of his life, when he wasn’t busy doing for others, Rod enjoyed traveling (especially cruises), loved a good walk through nature—sometimes disguised as a round of golf—and looked forward to his annual fishing trip with his son. 

A memorial service will be held on November 22, 2022 at Cremation Society of Minnesota at 7110 France Avenue South, Edina, MN 55435.  Visitation will be held from 4:30-7 p.m, with the service held at 7 p.m.   Rod will be interred at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Hennepin County, MN.