Robin Kirkland found eternal rest with our Heavenly Father on Monday, January 18, 2021, at the age of eighty. Robin was born on July 13, 1940 in Los Angeles, CA to John and Nelda (Smith) Kirkland. Robin attended Waurika High School and married his high school sweetheart, Barbara Ann Phelps, on December 29, 1959 in Waurika, Oklahoma. They were married for 50 years before Barbara passed away in 2009. Together, Robin and Barbara raised two sons, Steve and Kelly. There is joy in Robin's passing, as it marks not only the end of a long battle with Parkinson's disease, but his reunion with Barbara after twelve years apart. Known affectionately as "Gigi and Papa," the two belonged with one another—always better together than apart.

Robin served in the United States Army from 1962 to 1964. Following his service in the military he went to work for Halliburton Services in Duncan, Oklahoma. He retired from Halliburton in 1994 after thirty years of service. Robin was a member of First Baptist Church of Duncan. Though life presented Robin with many struggles, he never once complained, always choosing to forge ahead instead of dwell on what could have or should have been. He found joy in spending time with his family, tinkering in the garage, and watching TV—always with a dog on his lap. Every meal Robin ate was "the best meal I've ever eaten," a semblance that, while funny (and impossible), reflects his consistently positive outlook on life. Robin's heart was one of gentle kindness, and his life well-lived leaves a legacy of working hard and loving well. While he will be greatly missed, there is immense comfort in the fact that Robin is no longer in pain and now lives in perfect peace.

Robin was proceeded in death by his parents, John and Nelda Kirkland, two brothers, John Kirkland Jr. and Harry Kirkland, son, Steve Kirkland, and wife, Barbara Kirkland. He is survived by his son, Kelly Kirkland, and wife, Kristin Kirkland of Duncan, his granddaughter, Carly Kirkland, of Norman, Oklahoma, and his grandson, Coby Kirkland, of Lexington, Virginia. He is also survived by brothers Burl Kirkland, Terry Kirkland, and Kenneth Kirkland, and his sister, Nelda Ashmore. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a celebration of life is not currently possible. However, the greatest tribute to Robin will not occur through flowers or eulogies, but the decision to live the way he always did—with unceasing kindness, generosity, and an unmatched gentleness towards others.