Edward Lewis Kirkland

Edward Kirkland, Age 89 of Blairsville, Georgia passed away August 3, 2024, at Home. He was preceded in death by his Mother Velma Hall Kirkland and Father John Lewis Kirkland. 

Ed was a native of Kite, Georgia (Johnson County). Ed was a long-time member of the Atlanta Typographical Union Local #48. He was employed as a printer at the Atlanta Journal Constitution for 31 years. 

Ed graduated from Kite High School and the Southern School of printing in Nashville, Tennessee where he met and married Shirley Leatherwood of Alcoa, Tennessee. Ed and Shirley have been married for 64 years. They have two children Phil Kirkland (Wife - Susan) of Marietta Georgia and Tanya Hawks (Husband - Alan) of Blairsville, Georgia. They have three Grandchildren, Lindsey Kirkland, Chase Kirkland (Danielle) and Ashleigh Hawks Hughes (Thomas) and one Great-grandchild Sloane Kirkland. 

Ed and Shirley raised their family in Mableton Georgia and at retirement they built their dream mountain home in Blairsville, Georgia 

Ed and Shirley were long time members of First Baptist Church, Blairsville, GA where Ed served as a deacon before he became homebound. Ed was a member of the Mission Team, woodcutting team and the Feed the Hungry program. As a member of the Mission team, he enjoyed serving the local community, and working on mission project teams in in Alaska, Montana, Colorado, West Virginia and Thailand. He enjoyed splitting wood and delivering it to the elderly and in need in the winter and working in the parking lot during the busy Feed The Hungry weekends at the church. Ed loved his church. 

Ed also loved woodworking. He enjoyed making porch swings and anything that Ms. Shirley asked him to make. Ed was also a loyal fan of the Georgia Bulldogs and loved watching them on TV. 

Ed was a veteran of the U. S. Army. The night he and the other recruits got to Columbia, SC at Fort Jackson and the Army bus dropped him off atop Tank Hill and the drill sergeant yelled “Fall in”, He thought to himself that he might have made a mistake. However, 8 or 9 weeks later “we had become Men instead of boys.” He enjoyed his time in the Army and Loved His country. He often said, “this is truly the land of opportunity.” 

Ed is also survived by his brother, Kerald Kight. His sister Linda Farrow and brother Charles Kight preceded him in death. 

Services will be held at Cochran-McDaniel Funeral Home Blairsville Chapel and burial at Meadowview Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be Wednesday, August 7, 2024 from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm and the service will follow beginning at 1:00 pm. Rev. Ricky Powell will be officiating. The following gentleman will serve as pallbearers David Hall, Jonathan Hall, Ron Farrow, Bruce Alexander, Jim Stewart, and James Hooper.

Flowers are accepted, or if you wish, the family requests that donations can be made to: 

First Baptist Church of Blairsville 

Beacon Mission Team 

In memory of Edward Kirkland

The Kirkland family would like to offer a very special Thank You to the nurses and support staff of Appalachian Hospice. Their care and compassion was exactly what we needed during this difficult time.