2 first-year students to be honored

Alex Kirk

By: Jill Beathard

Posted: 10/7/08

Happy, jovial and sensitive were the words Alex Kirk's parents used to describe their son.

Douglas and Kim Kirk said they realized what a tremendous impact their son had on the people around him in life, after his death on Sept. 7.

Alex was born in Portsmouth, England, and grew up in Lincoln, England. His family moved to Katy, Texas, three and a half years ago, where Alex attended high school. An electrical engineering major, Alex had begun his freshman year only two weeks before the collision that claimed his life.

"Alex was really looking forward to the college experience," Douglas Kirk said. "He felt like he could be more his own person than he could in high school."

Because of his high grades and SAT score, Kirk was automatically admitted to Texas A&M. He followed in his father's footsteps as an electrical engineering major, although he had considered biomedical engineering.

Kirk worked hard at everything he did, said sophomore French major Sydney Lytle, his girlfriend of three years. They met while members of the percussion line in their high school's marching band.

"Alex never judged anyone," Lytle said. "He was a good friend to everyone. He was always trying to help people, he would try to listen to them and help them with whatever they were going through."

"Alex was one of the best people I've ever met. He was such a great person to have in our lives," said Elizabeth Witt, a sophomore biomedical engineering major. "I feel like we're very fortunate to have called him our friend."

Kirk loved to read, especially fantasy books such as Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, but also Dan Brown's books. "He ate books for lunch," Douglas said. "He devoured them. That's a hobby that gets expensive, but as a parent you don't try to stop it."

Another hobby for Kirk was music. He played in a band while living in Lincoln and played in the marching band for one year in high school. "Music and humor were not far from where Alex was," Douglas said.

A runner, Alex hoped to join the triathlon team at A&M. He had applied and been called for an interview with LIFE, a freshman leadership organization for engineering students.

Alex even engineered the layout of his dorm room, drawing out how he wanted everything to be organized, said freshman computer engineering major Christopher Perry, Alex's roommate and friend. "Alex was fun to be around, he'd always make you laugh," he said.

Alex's sister Lauren, 16, wrote a speech to her brother, which she read at the memorial in England and the service held in Katy.

"The definition of the name Alex is a caring person and a defender of good causes. He enjoys travel and adventure, but he is happiest at home. He is a protector," Lauren said in her speech. "You were and always will be my protector."

After an autopsy, it was determined that Alex was wearing a seat belt during the accident, Lytle said. The police report has been changed as it had originally reported that he had not been wearing a seatbelt.

"He will always have a special place in our hearts," said sophomore agricultural journalism and communications major Melanie Orth, "we are always thinking about him."

Douglas and Kim Kirk said they were thankful of the support from the Aggie family, the University and the local Aggie Moms' Club.