John Edward “Ed” Kirkpatrick

John Edward “Ed” Kirkpatrick passed away on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at the age of 87. Born on June 24, 1938, in Monahans, Texas, to John Spencer (Spence) and Norma Louise (Bess) Kirkpatrick, he was the oldest of eight children in a large West Texas family.

In 1961, Ed joined the Army and was stationed in Redmond, Washington. There he met the love of his life, Gloria Dawn McCoskrie, on a blind date on Bainbridge Island. He proposed on their second date, and they married six months later on September 16, 1961. Together they built a life centered on faith and family, raising four children—two sons and two daughters. After moving between Washington and Texas, they settled in Midland, Texas, in 1970, where they lived for more than two decades.

Ed loved the outdoors, particularly hunting and fishing. The family created many cherished memories during vacations at Bonito Lake in Ruidoso, New Mexico, camping and fishing together. Faith was the foundation of his life. Baptized at age 10 in the Primitive Baptist Church in Midland by Elder Ben Howse, he remained a devoted student of the Bible throughout his years. Though he felt called to the ministry early in life, he set that calling aside while serving in the Army and raising his family. He worked in the building trades, first with his father as a house mover, then in masonry and construction management. In 1977, he founded his own commercial remodeling business, Kirkpatrick Kontractors, in Midland.

In 1978, Edward was ordained to the full work of the ministry. He preached and traveled across Texas for church meetings and helped establish a congregation in Colorado City. In 1992, following heart surgery the previous year, he answered a call to pastor Tidewater Primitive Baptist Church in Norfolk, Virginia, where he faithfully served for 13 years. He also worked as a housing inspector for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development during that time. After returning to Texas in 2005 to be closer to family, Ed and Gloria lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, first in Arlington and later in Melissa. In his later years, he served churches in Wilson, Oklahoma; Stephenville, Midland, and Seagoville, Texas, and the couple later joined Dixie Primitive Baptist Church in Whitesboro, Texas.

Ed was preceded in death by his parents, Spence and Bess Kirkpatrick; his brothers Roy Kirkpatrick and Raymond Kirkpatrick; his sister Louise Neatherlin; and his grandson Alec Edward Kirkpatrick.

He is survived by his beloved wife of more than 64 years, Gloria Kirkpatrick; his children Eddie Kirkpatrick, David Kirkpatrick and his wife Vicki, Karin Davies and her husband Scott, and Kathy Miller and her husband Paul; his brothers Donnie Kirkpatrick and Paul Kirkpatrick; his sisters Nell Whitmore and Joann Merworth; fourteen grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; and many extended family members, church family, and friends whose lives were touched by his faithful ministry and quiet service.