French Bates Kirkland, 86, died peacefully at Shirkey Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Richmond MO Saturday afternoon, September 3, 2016. French, born December 6, 1929, had been a patient of the Shirkey Hospice team for a short time due to heart disease.

French's beloved wife, Setsuko Yogoro of Tokyo, Japan whom he married in Hawaii on March 29, 1979, preceded French in death in 2013.

French, the only child of Frank Kirkland and Mary Bates Kirkland was born at St. Joseph's Hospital in Kansas City, spent his early years in Vibbard MO and began school in Camden MO, attending school there until he entered 10 ^th grade at Richmond High School after his family relocated to Richmond.

French enjoyed summers at Prairie View Farm north of Hardin which his Great-Great-Great Grandfather Bates homesteaded in 1836. Prairie View Farm is now owned and operated by David and Harriet Minnick who with their daughters, Amanda and Megan, maintained a close and fond relationship with French and his late wife, Setsuko. Setsuko's family in Japan has maintained a close relationship with French.

After graduating from Richmond High School in 1949, French attended the University of Missouri majoring in physics and engineering. He studied radio and television at Chicago's DeVry Technical Institute and analog and digital computers at the Control Data Institute and Johann Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany.

From 1954 until his retirement in April 1985, when French and his wife returned to Richmond, French worked on telemetry for the United States space flights including the first moon landing with Apollo 11 of which French was particularly proud.

French's work for RCA, Bendix Corporation, Philco Corporation, the National Scientific Lab, and the National Aeronautic and Space Administration took him to Canada, Japan, Germany, Spain, England, the Ascension Islands, the Canary Islands and Hawaii.

French, a Mason, was a life member of the Camden Ray Lodge #223. He was known for his wide ranging interests and experiences, his broad intelligence, his acerbic wit, his ever ready sense of humor, his perceptiveness and his ability to engage in interesting conversation or a game of chess—which he usually won.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the United Christian Presbyterian Church.

Visitation will be 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, September 6, 2016, at the United Christian Presbyterian Church, 501 North Spartan Drive in Richmond followed by a celebration of French's life at 10:30 a.m. with Pastor Jeromey Howard officiating. Burial will be in the Kirkland plot at Lavelock Cemetery north of Hardin beside his beloved wife, Setsuko. On line condolences may be left on our website at www.thurmanfuneralhome.com