Ann Elizabeth (Corley) Kirk

Ann Elizabeth Corley Kirk passed away peacefully on June 13, 2026, at age 95. Ann was known to her church and her retirement community as a gracious soul who didn’t hesitate to share her positive outlook on life with anyone who chanced across her path. She was an avid seeker of spiritual truth, studying many religions and philosophies, while ever holding fast to her Christian faith. She was raised within a devout Southern Baptist family, eventually joined the Presbyterian Church in the 50s, practiced Yoga and Transcendental Meditation in the 70s, then joined Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church, where she and her husband John served as elders. Ann eventually found her spiritual home at the Church of Conscious Harmony in 1986, where she enjoyed the like-minded community of spiritual study and daily practice. She volunteered at CCH as the newsletter editor, as a leader of the Eucharist Committee, and as a facilitator of Centering Prayer groups. She was also active for many years with Contemplative Outreach.

Ann was a resident of Austin, Texas for 47 years, following a life with the Air Force that took her and her husband John on a journey of lifelong learning and adventure. Ann counted moves, and she moved 18 times after her marriage. Ann spent her teen years in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which she described as a sleepy little town in the 1940s. She was born on September 25, 1930, in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and spent her formative years near her grandparents in Tennessee and in Florida.

Ann married John Miller Kirk in 1950 after John graduated from the US Naval Academy. Ann met John when he was visiting his aunt who lived next door. So, Ann was literally the “girl next door”. She was a co-ed at Florida State University for two years and left school to marry John at the start of the Korean War. Over the years, while raising four children and fulfilling her role as an Air Force wife, Ann demonstrated her fortitude by attending four different colleges to pursue her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, which she completed in 1966. She taught 2nd grade at the US Air Force Academy and later served as a reading specialist at Valley View Elementary School for 16 years. When John retired from St. Edward’s University as the Dean of the School of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Ann chose to retire from Eanes Independent School District so she and John could re-engage with their love of international travel. Their path eventually brought them to Querencia, as charter members, in 2007. They moved into Querencia two weeks after it opened and developed many friendships at “the Q” over the ensuing years.

Despite her travels, Ann recently described Austin as her favorite place to call home. Austin is where four of her grandchildren were born; and where her other three grandchildren, along with her great-grandchildren, came to visit “Annie and Grandpa.” Ann developed a strong sense of community in Austin, rooted in her church family, her friends in Lost Creek, at Valley View Elementary School, and at Querencia.

Ann is survived by her four children, their partners and spouses; her seven grandchildren, their partners and spouses; and her four great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, John Kirk.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, June 16th, at 7pm at the Church of Conscious Harmony at 7406 Newhall Lane, Austin, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, Ann’s family suggests donations may be sent to the Church of Conscious Harmony or to Glimmer of Hope, a non-profit whose mission is to alleviate poverty in remote communities in Ethiopia, as well as locally in Austin, Texas.