Carol Kirk

Carol McQuilkin Kirk died Friday, May 23, at the age of 87. She was born in Henry, Illinois, to Howard P. and Mildred Root McQuilkin, the third child with three brothers. She grew up on a farm and graduated from Hennepin High School in a class of 7. She graduated from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, with a BS in Music Education. She taught public school music in Gridley, Illinois, and Madison, Wisconsin.

She met her husband, Robert J. Kirk of Oak Park, Illinois, during her senior year of college, while singing in a church choir. After marrying, they lived in Madison, Wisconsin, where Robert obtained a master's degree in economics. Their first child, Kathleen, was born in Defiance, Ohio. Their second daughter, Nancy, was born in Ames, Iowa, while her husband obtained a Ph.D. in Economics. Their third daughter, Sally, was born in St. Louis as Robert taught at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. They moved to Indianapolis in 1972, where they raised their family.

During her daughters' upbringing, Carol provided private piano instruction, actively participated as a 4-H Club Leader, and contributed in various volunteer roles. Mayor William Hudnut appointed her to serve on the Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission for five years during a time of active downtown development. She served for two terms as President of the League of Women Voters of Indianapolis and wrote and edited “The Unigov Handbook.”

Carol went to the Indiana University McKinney School of Law, passing the bar exam in 1989. In law school, she was Executive Editor, Articles and Production for the Indiana Law Review, and Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity International Historian and Treasurer.

Following the law degree, Governor Evan Bayh appointed her as Director of the State Ethics Commission for eight years. During that time, she served as President of the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws, an international organization of her peers. Governor Bayh awarded her a Sagamore of the Wabash honor for her significant contributions to the state. She next worked as an Attorney/Investigator for the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission for 15 years.

She loved musical comedy and volunteered at Footlite Musicals, where she was props mistress for twenty-two musicals, wrote grants, and edited the programs. Honors include National 4-H Club Congress, Mu Phi Epsilon music honorary, and Council on Governmental Ethics Laws Outstanding Service Award.

She is survived by her husband, Bob, her brother, Jim, her three daughters, Kathy (Mark) Reed of Sparta, MI, Nancy (Will) Ditzler of Westfield, IN, and Sally (Leon) Cunningham of Carmel, IN; six grandchildren, Dustin, Alesha, Drew, Noah, Hannah and Kendall, and three great-grandchildren, Jonah, Penelope, and Raven.

A Celebration of Life service will be held on July 19th at 2PM at Unitarian Universalist Church of Indianapolis, 615 W 43rd St., Indianapolis, IN 46208 . 

Instead of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to Footlite Musicals, 1847 Alabama St., Indianapolis, IN 46202, All Souls Unitarian Church, 5805 E. 56th St., Indianapolis, IN 46226, or Unitarian Universalist Church of Indianapolis, 615 W 43rd St., Indianapolis, IN 46208. Arrangements entrusted to ARN Funeral & Cremations Services.