Anna Maria Kirk

Anna Kirk, 73, of San Luis Obispo, California, passed away on March 4, 2026, after a courageous battle with cancer. Born in Santa Maria in 1952 to Anastasia “Anne” and Lawrence “Skip” Zepeda, she was raised in San Luis Obispo alongside her five siblings—Michael, Matthew, Cathy, Rudy, and Ruben—on Foothill Boulevard. From childhood, Anna found joy in hiking Bishop’s Peak and Cerro San Luis, often exploring the trails barefoot right from her backyard.

She was a devoted mother to Angela, Jessica, Loni, and Daniel, and took immense pride in her role as grandmother to Meghan, Austin, Grant, Andrew, Trevor, Aaron, Adam, Lucia, and Kennedy, and great-grandmother to Dawson. For more than twenty years, Anna operated a daycare center in San Luis Obispo, becoming a beloved bonus parent to dozens of local families. She remained a steady, caring presence in their lives, attending graduations, weddings, and baby showers long after the children had grown. Many of those she cared for visited her in her final days, a testament to the quiet, lasting impact she had on so many.

Anna cherished live music, thrift stores, beach days, and the company of the family dogs. She was preceded in death by her parents, Benjamin Kirk, her brother-in-law Jerry, and her sisters-in-law Kerri and Alane. She is survived by her children, siblings, and cousins who felt like siblings, all of whom will forever remember her warm smile and the love she so generously shared.