John W. Kirk

John William Kirk was born July 27, 1956, in McAllen, Texas. He spent his early years in rural South Texas, working a variety of jobs before enlisting in the United States Air Force, where he drew on his musical training to play bassoon in the 541st Air Force Band of the Southwest. He was honorably discharged in 1979. From 1983 to 1986 he served again, this time in the United States Army as an airborne infantry paratrooper, earning his jump wings and the Expert Infantry Badge.

After completing his military service, John pursued his higher education at the University of Utah, graduating cum laude with degrees in political science and Spanish and earning a Certificate of International Relations. He was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, the Golden Key National Honor Society, and the Phi Sigma Iota International Foreign Language Honor Society - the latter reflecting the fluent Spanish he first acquired while serving a church mission in Bogota, Colombia, and maintained throughout his life.

In 1992, John obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Utah College of Law, and that same year he was admitted to the State Bar of Nevada. He built his legal career in the Las Vegas area and continued to practice law until his passing on March 22, 2026.