By Kristine Lowder
James G. Kirk of Montesano may slow down one of these days. But don’t count on it. Steering into uncharted waters is nothing new for 90-year-old “Captain Kirk.” Whether it’s serving in the merchant marine, the Civil Air Service, singing light opera, or real estate investing, Jim Kirk has been innovating and blazing trails for nine decades.
Some of those trails include service in the Army National Guard during high school, working in the manufacturing division of Chrysler in his hometown, Detroit, and eight years in the Civil Air Service in the 1930s and 40s. Kirk had to drop out of high school to help support his family, but earned his diploma after getting married.
Pre-World War II, Kirk was rejected for air service due to flat feet and sinus issues. That didn’t stop him. Determined to serve his country, Kirk joined the merchant marine instead. He served four years. Kirk was inducted into the Navy in 1950. He was made company commander based on his prior military experience and sang in the Recruit Training Choir. (More on that in a minute.) Kirk served three years active duty and five years inactive reserve. He took part in the evacuation of Hungnam and the invasion of Inchon during the Korean War, dropping off Marines and ammo at Inchon.
After his naval service, Kirk went in to vaudeville. “How I got into show business is absolutely crazy,” he laughs. “This guy had a table tennis act on stage. They hired me as an emcee to talk it up.” He recalls his intro: “And now, ladies and gentlemen, introducing the world’s greatest sports commentator, Jimmy Kirk! Jimmy, come out smiling!” He emceed the act at Radio City Music Hall and did USO programs. Recalls Kirk, “We loved our country, we took pride in our country, and we did whatever we could to support our country.”
In the 50s Kirk performed at the Latin Quarter in Boston, and had a brief stint at the Hollywood Palladium. He also did stand-up comedy at the Apollo Theater as a fill-in for Ralph Cooper. He also worked at Capitol Records as a newsletter reporter.
Kirk’s show biz career included singing light opera. “My voice was likened to Nelson Eddy’s,” Kirk says, referring to one half of MGM’s “singing sweethearts” of the 1930s. (The other half was soprano songbird Jeanette MacDonald.) Kirk sang “Frank Sinatra-type ballads” in night clubs accompanied by full orchestras. Kirk’s singing career ended following throat surgery for a polyp. He quit show business in favor of becoming a family man.
After getting married in 1953, Kirk and his wife headed to Sacramento, where he sold player pianos for Fleming Music Company. In the early 60s Kirk worked in Aerojet’s Liquid Rocket Division as a production programmer. The Kirks moved to Seattle in the late 60s. Jim served as the first personnel manager for the Washington Plaza Hotel in Seattle (now the Westin). He later worked for the National Alliance of Businessmen. One of the first affirmative action programs in the country under President Lyndon Johnson, the Alliance focused on placing minorities in jobs. Kirk explains, “We were on a government contract to place socially disadvantaged people who had the promise of upward mobility into meaningful entry-level jobs.”
Kirk was laid off when a recession hit Seattle. He found work driving a cab and later founded a janitorial business and went on to managing a maintenance crew. Then he went into real estate investment, buying and fixing up delinquent properties. “I worked night and day, around the clock to get houses ready for sale,” recalls Kirk.
The Kirks left Seattle for Bellevue as the recession eased. But real estate prices in those markets rapidly escalated beyond his ability to buy and re-sell profitably. Kirk saw an opportunity in Grays Harbor. “I found a house in Ocean Shores and made an offer. By the next morning, we had a house. I could see a future in Grays Harbor,” he says. The Kirks later moved to Montesano.
Years later, “Captain Kirk” briefly opened a pizzeria in Elma. It closed last year, but he still enjoys a good meal. “All my life I’ve never had to cook. So I’m not gonna start now. I can’t boil water without burning it,” cracks Kirk, who is buoyed by the Harbor’s community spirit. “We have a community attitude here that’s just beautiful,” he says.
Besides business know-how, ninety years provides perspective in the interpersonal realm. And Jim Kirk has plenty. He second wife, Peggy, passed away in October 2012. They were married 43 years. Kirk has eight kids from two marriages, 19 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
He recalls, “I had a tremendous wife who overlooked my inadequacies. I responded by doing the same. If you don’t have the strength to hold up to the wear and tear of everyday life, you fall apart. I think we tend to get spoiled and want things our own way. That doesn’t work.” The nonagenarian adds, “It takes giving and taking on both sides. If you make a success of your marriage, you can make a success of your business. In my case, the fact that I was a Christian had more influence on my life and Peg’s life than anything else.”
It took some time to “adjust” to the loss of his wife, but Kirk is now keeping company with Wilma Cornwall, 83. “She’s my little redhead,” Kirk twinkles. Cornwall, a widow, recently moved to Montesano from Skamania.
Of the inevitable link to a certain Starfleet officer Kirk winks, “I get that all the time. I just tell ‘em I was here first.”
Ninety years young, Montesano’s “Captain James G. Kirk” is indeed going where few nonagenarians have gone before.
