Chuck was taken from us suddenly on July 23, 2026. He is survived by his wife Melissa Kirkwood, sons John and Alex Kirkwood, daughter Emma Bird, brothers Pete and Dave Kirkwood, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. He is preceded in death by his father Thomas Kirkwood, mother Jean Kirkwood, grandparents Roderick and Blossom Kirkwood, and grandparents Agnes and Paul Walker.

Chuck was born in Minnesota on May 28th, 1964 to Thomas and Jean Kirkwood. He was the oldest of three sons. When he was younger, he loved mudding in his 1971 Chevrolet Nova 4x4, motocross, snowmobiling, and tinkering with things to see how they worked. Later in life, Chuck loved riding ATVs and working on his 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle SS with his family.

After graduating from Dunwoody Institute in St. Paul, Minnesota with a degree in Auto Mechanics, Chuck then went on to work at the Bloomington Acura Subaru Dealership from 1988 to 1996 as an auto mechanic. After this, he worked as an ironworker with KMH and Amerect Steel Erectors, and was a member of the Ironworkers Union Local 512 until he was injured in 2005.

At this job, Chuck was very proud of his work on the Minneapolis Public Library, where he was personally asked to install all of the glass on the building due to an invention he had come up with to make this process more streamlined. Also in 2005, he married his wife Melissa Habben, joining their families of John and Alex Kirkwood and Emma Bird. At their wedding Chuck made all of the picnic tables and coolers that were used by guests.

In 2009, Chuck moved his family from Shoreview, Minnesota to Prairie Farm, Wisconsin to live on an old dairy farm. He loved seeing free piles and going to thrift stores. Chuck was very good at taking things apart and fixing them. He had a wealth of knowledge that he always wanted to share with others. Chuck loved his family and helping others any way he could. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

The celebration of Chuck’s life will be on Saturday August 1st, 2026 at 11:00 AM at Humbird Chapel in the Willow River Cemetery at 815 Wisconsin Street in Hudson, Wisconsin.

Last Update: Jul 29, 2026 9:40 am CDT