Just before he died on October 23, Mr Kirk was told he would receive a Queen’s Service Medal for his service to the community as part of the New Year Honours list.
The New Brighton resident spent 12 years as New Zealand Meat Workers Union national secretary, 37 years as a St John New Zealand first aid volunteer and was the New Brighton Rugby Club administrator and New Brighton Bowling Club president.
Mr Kirk’s daughter Sherryl Haughie said her father didn’t expect recognition for his achievements - but the honour of receiving a QSM eventually sunk in before he died.
"He was very humbled I guess," she said.
"He even said: 'I don’t know whether I should accept it'. And it was like why wouldn’t you?
"The more he thought about it, obviously he has seven children, and we’re all very proud of him, and nine grandchildren, so we’d say he was humbled and surprised,” she said.
He made friendships in all of his roles, she said, and during his time at the New Zealand Meat Workers Union he represented about 23,000 workers.
"He was very giving, I guess, very empathetic,” she said.
Mrs Haughie described her dad as “very loving and caring".
"He liked to cook Sunday roasts, he liked his beer and he liked the TAB.
"We’d all go away together to Port Robinson and stuff like that, and the garden, he liked to do that as well.”
She said he loved his wife, Dot, and cared for her in her final years.
"She needed to be cared for so he pretty much downed everything. It was just on his retirement actually, so he looked after her for seven and a half years at home.”
Mr Kirk was proud to be “born and bred” in New Brighton, she said.
He was one of three people from east Christchurch recognised on the New Year Honours list. Ranui Ngarimu, of North New Brighton, was made an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori art and culture and Steve Bush, of Richmond, received a QSM for services to environmental rejuvenation.
