Kirby Kent Wood

Kirby Wood, my beloved husband, believed that the NCAA tournament was the greatest sporting event gifted to all mankind. Suffice it to say that he was a sports enthusiast. He loved competition, playing hard, and winning.

He was fiercely loyal to his family, friends and employers. He was brilliant, hardworking, and analytical. He kept his word, always showed up, and oozed integrity and honesty. But mostly, he was "my person", a loving and understanding Dad, an amazing Papa and faithful friend.

If I were to break his life down in basketball terms, it would go something like this:

First Quarter:

Kirby was born in Des Moines, Iowa to Mary Ellen Broadie and John Wood. He attended the University of Iowa and received his BS with honors in Business and Finance. I'll spare you the details, but he alone could have been responsible for boosting Iowa to the #1 partying school in the US. Kirby always did everything in a BIG way and shall we say, was always an overachiever in both work and play.

Second Quarter:

Kirby's professional life mirrored all the above attributes. After college he joined New England Life, then moved on to Principal and then Berthel Fisher. In the middle of this quarter, his son, Brandon James joined Team Wood. It was a time out moment... his life perspective shifted to that of a very involved and doting Daddy. These years were filled with coaching Brandon, family vacations, and a two-term stint on the Urbandale School Board. His most endearing memory of these years was Brandon winning the 2007 State Baseball Championship...I wasn't a part of Kirby's life at this point, but I understand that his chest expanded 6 inches due to pride.

Third Quarter:

Kirby meets Karen and as they say, the rest is history. He was charming, witty, kind, and generous. He could be loud, irreverent, and sassy. But with him I felt home. He was my safe place and my partner. He welcomed my two children, Dashel and Sophie Ross onto his team and became an integral part of their lives. During the last minutes of this quarter, Kirby finished his career as Chief Marketing and Distribution Officer for American Equity, a company that he loved and was extremely proud to represent. I know I may seem biased, but he was very, very good at what he did... agents adored him and agent's wives loved him.

Fourth Quarter:

Kirby could trash talk with the best of them...put mildly, he had a colorful vocabulary...but of all the words in the English language, Papa, was his favorite. He cherished this role and was absolutely devoted to his Littles, Monroe, Melody, Zoey, Ellie, and Everett. He played with them, took them on adventures, read to them, and loved them. As our Ellie asked when finding out Papa was sick, "Grandma, who will help me feed my babies (her dolls) and get us pizza?" Clearly, he was adored.

Over Time:

But the real game changer occurred in over time when Kirby invited Jesus Christ to be his coach. They say timing is everything, and I would have to agree. He seemed to find a peace and acceptance that had eluded him in his past. I think he knew he was finally going home.

Kirby died on October 27, 2025. The game is over and I am the winner because he graced my life. Oh Darling, what are we supposed to do without you? We will miss you terribly. Thank goodness for eternity...as discussed meet me at the Gates and have your sneakers and party hat on.

For those who never had the privilege of knowing my Kirby, I am sorry for your loss.

Kirby is lovingly survived by his son, Brandon (Allison) and granddaughters, Monroe and Melody; Karen's children, Dashel (Kaitlyn) and grandchildren, Zoey, Ellie, Everett; and Sophie; his brother, Jeff (Sherry); nephew John; and me, his wife, Karen.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Kirby's charity of choice, Gary’s Ride at https://www.garysrideiowa.org/

Services will be held on Thursday, November 6, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at Lutheran Church of Hope, 925 Jordan Creek Parkway in West Des Moines, Iowa with a Celebration of Life immediately following at the Des Moines Embassy Club West, 520 Market Street in West Des Moines, Iowa.

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