Stephen Kittinger Kirkham

Our dear husband, father and grandfather, Stephen Kittinger Kirkham, died Sunday, August 25, 2024, of a traumatic brain injury suffered from a fall.

He was born March 27, 1940, in Salt Lake City, son of Earl Kay Kirkham and Oleve Kittinger. He graduated from South High School in 1958 and later earned his Master Gardener Certification from Utah State University. At the tender age of 17, Steve joined the Navy where he served on the USS Enterprise as a safecracker for 2 years. He went on to serve an honorable LDS mission in the Northwestern States Mission, but only ever told people he served in Burley, Idaho.

Steve married Ruth Combs and had five sons and a beautiful daughter. Steve and Ruth later divorced. In 1988, Steve met and fell in love with his sweetheart and soulmate, Linda McCune. They married on February 17, 1989. Linda brought three sons and another daughter to the family.

Steve had the greenest of thumbs, running a sod farm and a nursery early in his career. But he was later best known for his landscaping creations and Christmas lights at Sinclair Oil corporate headquarters, Little America Hotel, Sun Valley Resort, the Westgate Hotel in San Diego, and at his home, winning the Bountiful Yard Beautification award in 1998. He loved mowing his neighbors’ lawns up to the day of his injury.

An avid cyclist, Steve and friends rode through Indiana, Idaho, Canada, Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. As the threat of distracted drivers grew, he retired to hour-long virtual rides indoors, which he took up to the week of his death.

Steve’s greatest joy was serving his family. Rather than focusing on his own needs, he always looked outside himself to help those closest to him. Whether planting flower beds, mowing lawns, helping with remodels, or just being there for comic relief, he did it all with a smile and never a complaint.

Steve is survived by his wife Linda; children, Janet (Jim) Sellers, Drake (Paulette) Kirkham, Jim (Kelly) McCune, Kelly (Tina) Kirkham, Eric (Jennifer) McCune, Scott (Monica) Kirkham, Ryan (Brook) McCune, Tyler (Amelia) Kirkham, Oliver (Tori) Kirkham, and Merrilee (Dave) Tibolla; 31 grandchildren; 20 great grandchildren, and siblings Laurel (Richard) Ross and Dan (Pat) Kirkham. He was preceded in death by his grandson Kolbie McCune and younger sister Lael Birch.

Steve will also be missed by a large network of friends and neighbors whom he loved.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 31, 2024, in the Val Verda Fifth Ward building, 2633 South 50 West, Bountiful, Utah. Friends and family may call from 6-8 p.m. on Friday evening at Russon Mortuary, 295 N. Main Street, Bountiful, Utah, and at the church Saturday morning from 9:45-10:45 a.m. Interment, Elysian Burial Gardens.

Services will be streamed live on the Russon Mortuary Live Facebook page and on this obituary page. The live stream will begin about 10-15 minutes prior to the service and will be posted below.

In lieu of flower, the family requests donations be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (https://www.nationalmssociety.org/how-you-can-help/ways-to-give) in honor of two of his children. Donations to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (https://www.cff.org/donate) in honor of two of his grandchildren would also be appreciated.