Obituaries – Their Stories Live On

Mrs. Olivia Dianne Kirkwood passed away at home on Thursday, February 3, 2022 while surrounded by those who loved her best.

Born December 11, 1949, she was the daughter of the late Herman H. and Olivia M. Howard.

Dee Dee dearly loved her son, her family, her friends, and her pets whose endless love and faithful presence undoubtedly made her passing both a poignant and precious transition. It is hard to imagine a more preferred way to go than while being held in the arms of her son whom she so unconditionally loved.

For those who knew her, her broad smile and sharp wit welcomed all, regardless of status or station. Her warm spirit and sense of humor put everyone she met at ease as she offered a cup of coffee or a piece of cake. Yet, Dee was no Pollyanna cream puff. She was a woman of the Appalachian heritage, a legacy which gave her a capacity to cut through superficial platitudes and state the case clearly as she saw it. Yet, she could shift gears in a flash and disarm anyone with another smile and a quick reassurance that we can all be wrong occasionally and so we can all look forward to finding affirming perspectives eventually, even if not right then.

Once, during a Super Bowl party at her home, when one of her beloved pups seemed unsure where to head when he needed “to go,” Scott raised his stern voice to direct the dog to go outside. She quickly quipped, “Remember Scottie, I was around when you didn’t know either, but even you learned after a while!” Then she lovingly opened the door for the much relieved canine. Her touch brought a smile to Scott’s face and resolved the pup’s urgency with grace.

Dee also was a woman of faith. She never forced her views on others but she never hesitated to thank others who offered prayers for her. As she struggled with daily challenges her declining state brought upon her, she quietly looked for spiritual strength and found it more often than not. But hers was not a faith confined to stain glass windows. She found in the embrace of a cathedral of pines, in the reassuring whisper of a slow flowing river, or in a mountain vista majestically framing a glowing sunset, that special reassurance as undeniable as any cathedral or contrivance of religion could ever convey. Quoting a Kathy Mattea lyric, she’d affirm that “God ain’t no stained glass window, cause He never keeps His windows closed!”

Dee knew happiness and joy, and she was no stranger to struggles and pain. She lived the full spectrum of human experience but never wavered in her core belief in the basic goodness of life and love. She had a basic wisdom born of accepting that the greatest pain is often closely tied to the greatest love.

We grieve because we love. Yet, the pain is nothing compared to the amazing Grace that the true love of others brings to those who dare to take the risk, to reach out in compassion, and share what is most precious in the human experience: the sharing the chorus of heart-felt compassion. She was blessed with this basic wisdom that seemed so obvious to her.

Perhaps, this is why those who grieve her passing, nevertheless can find a measure of Grace, even in this difficult time. For as she fought to find meaning even as she was physically failing, she never failed to find hope in the simple act of holding the hand of one she truly loved. And in the end, this is as she would have wished. And it is precisely that same Love that today has welcomed her to her new Home, a realm of unfettered Love and ultimate affirmation. Indeed, it is that self-same Love that continues beyond the bounds of this mortal life and feeds all souls insightful enough and humble enough to be embraced by it.

We celebrate the life of this marvelous woman: a friend, a wife, a mother, and now a saint whose smile still brightens our hearts and whose ears have already heard those affirming words echoing throughout the halls of Glory, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Well done!”

She was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur Kirkwood, who died in September 2021.

Left to cherish precious memories are her son, Scott Osburn; sister, Lynn VonGunten; brother, Don (Patricia “GG”) Howard; nephew, Jonathan Howard; nieces: Katie (Andy) Bohringer, Judy (Lenny) Martin; several grand and great-grand nieces and nephews as well.

A memorial service will be held for family and friends at the family camp when Covid allows. But until then, may we all celebrate her time with us on this journey and thank God for the blessings she brought to so many. May we dare to live as boldly, as lovingly, and as compassionately as she lived. And tonight, let us whisper a prayer of thanks the God who gave us that chance and Who offers that Love Divine to us all.

As per her request, she has been cremated.

Email condolences to ritchiejohnsonfuneralparlor@gmail.com.

Arrangements entrusted to Ritchie & Johnson Funeral Parlor, Beckley.