Douglas Kirkland Obituary

Douglas S. Kirkland, 82, loving husband, father and grandfather and great-grandfather passed away Tuesday, January 23, 2024.

He was born in Washington, D.C. on July 10, 1941, and resided in Georgia, South Carolina, Ohio, Kentucky, Cananda, and Tennessee.

Kirkland was President of AFG Industries, Inc. (now Cardinal) from May 1989 until August 1992. He had previously served as President of AFG's Canadian operations and as Plant Manager of AFG Greenland and Kingsport plants.

He was also President of Guardian Industries, Canadian operations and General Manager of their Jamestown, NY facility from September 1993 until September 1997.

Prior to his involvement in the glass industry, he had serviced as Vice President and General Manager with Fuqua Industries, director of manufacturing with Masonite Corporation and chief industrial engineer at Burlington Industries Hosiery Division.

From November 1997 until April 2007, he was President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Tenneva, Inc. with responsibility for seventeen counties in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.

Kirkland was President of the Greater Kingsport Chamber of Commerce in 1987. He also co-chaired Vision 2017 helping create a vision for Kingsport's future, the first Funfest Chairman for AFG, served on the TriCity Business Alliance board, City Advisory Committee for Meadowview, and several other boards including AFG, Clarity Holdings, AFG Glass in Canada, Guardian Canada, Bank of Tennessee, Mettler Canada and Chamber of Commerce.

As CEO of Goodwill, Kirland received the best business in the region award in 1998, and he also received the region Executive of the Year award in 2003.

In 2010, he served four months as Interim Director for DKA.

At age 16, he was his county's first Eagle Scout, was in the Beta Club, placed third in the National Merit Scholarship exam, and vice president of his high school senior class.

Kirkland was a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. He was in the Phi Kappa Phi, Delta Sigma Pi, and Beta Gamma Sigma honor societies.

He later served as a company commander in the U.S. Army Infantry, receiving the Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service signed by the Secretary of the Army along with several letters of commendation from commanding generals. He held the rank of First Lieutenant.

Kirkland served active duty from August 26, 1963, until August 26, 1965 and then active reserve from September 1965 until September 1969.

He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 45 years, Joyce Kirkland; his mother and stepfather, Sarah and Charles Cannon; and sister Alice Parrish, all of Lawrenceburg, TN.

Those left to cherish Kirkland's memory are his children, Stacey Roberts and husband, Mike of Streetsboro, Ohio, Ashley Kirkland and wife, Alisha of Spanish Fort, Alabama, and Jason Kirkland and wife, Alona of Mooresville, North Carolina; six grandchildren, Elizabeth Watts and husband, Jacob of Knoxville, TN, Ethan of San Diego, CA, Elliot of Chicago, IL and Audrey and Austin of Spanish Fort, AL, Hudson of Mooresville, NC; stepsister, Jerry Fischer and husband, Jimmy of Naples, FL; half-sister, Adrianne Kirkland of Strasburg, VA and Naples, FL.

The family will receive friends from 12:00 pm until 2:00 pm on Monday, January 29, 2024, in the chapel of Oak Hill Funeral Home.

Burial will be at Oak Hill Memorial Park in Section A and will be under the direction of the American Legion Hammond Post #3 and Gate City Post #265.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital by visiting, www.st.jude.org, or Shriners Hospital for Children by visiting, www.donate.lovetotherescue.org

The care of Douglas S. Kirkland and his family has been entrusted to the staff of Oak Hill Funeral & Cremation Services.