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Everything Else => Off Topic => Topic started by: predator77 on October 13, 2010, 08:47:39 AM
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Richard Kirby, Owner and Founder of Quaker Boy Inc., was an innovator and pioneer in the game call industry. Above all, Kirby had a passion for the outdoors and he loved to share that enthusiasm with others. Kirby was an advocate for hunting and he was a great mentor to all who enjoy the sport. He was a man that wasn’t afraid to give personal testimony about his life and how God had influenced his family.
After suffering complications from back surgery, Dick Kirby passed away on the night of Sept. 30 in Orchard Park, New York. Kirby touched many people during his life. His family, friends, outdoors men and women, and loyal customers will grieve the loss of a man who had true character, but he will never be forgotten. He will be remembered as a phenomenal human being and one of the most original game call makers in hunting history.
Kirby, a barber by trade, started making game calls as a hobby in his basement, according to the Quaker Boy Web site. He would spend countless hours listening to nature and then he would go home and make calls in an attempt to mimic the sounds that he heard. He made his first aluminum mouth call in 1974.
As the demand for his call creations grew, Kirby and his wife, Beverly, started Quaker Boy Game Calls. The name ‘Quaker Boy’ came from their barber shop and beauty shop, which were named Quaker Boy Barber Shop and Quaker Girl Beauty Shop. Those names originated from the Quaker settlements of Orchard Park, N.Y. according to the site.
In the beginning, Quaker Boy Game Calls focused on the making of turkey calls, which are still widely used by many hunters today. Kirby’s enthusiasm for graphic design may have influenced the designs of some of his calls. The signature design for many of Kirby’s calls has a drawing or graphic of a turkey in full strut etched on the call. His dedication to the making of high quality, easy to use game calls will be remembered as a special gift to all sportsmen.
To Kentucky hunter Diane Cook, Kirby will not only be remembered because of his calls, but for his outlook on life and his excitement for hunting.
“I met Dick about six years ago,” Cook said. “I had taken my nephew for his first spring turkey hunt. When we got back to the truck I received a phone call inviting us to the home where Dick was staying and hunting. When we arrived, he (Dick) was so excited to show his turkey to us and then invited everyone to join him in the pictures.”
Cook recounted the day she met Kirby and it was the way he interacted with others that stood out.
“He sat and talked to my nephew and let him tell about what he had experienced that morning,” Cook said. “Then Dick asked for a piece of paper and a pen and he began to sketch. He told us after each hunt he takes time to sketch and relive each hunt. He had the entire story drawn in just a matter of minutes with precise detail.”
Cook indicated that she felt it was extremely kind of Kirby to spend time talking about turkey hunting with her nephew. She was surprised to see what Kirby did next.
“He gave my nephew his turkey beard, tail, and shell and explained how to dry the tail and display the beard inside the brass casing of his 12-guage shell,” Cook said. “Even though Eddie had not killed a bird that morning he had a treasure that no one else among us had. He had Dick Kirby’s turkey!”
That first encounter with Kirby was one of many special memories that Cook has of him. Each year since that time, Kirby would travel from New York to Kentucky to turkey hunt in the spring. Cook said that after every hunt, Kirby would call for her and other hunters to meet him at the nearest Kentucky Fried Chicken.
“We just waited for our call and met him at the closest KFC to tell us about the morning hunt and then after consuming our KFC we’d gather around the truck to show our trophy,” Cook said. “I think he must have eaten KFC every day!”
Kirby also traveled to Kentucky to deer hunt with Cook and other members of her hunting party. Cook will forever cherish the time that she spent with Kirby at KFC in the spring and at deer camp in the fall.
“Dick Kirby will be missed in our hunting camp this year, but we have many stories to keep him with us,” Cook said.
The hunting industry has lost a pioneer in the making of game calls. It was important for Kirby to get children involved in the outdoors by sharing his calls. He was an ambassador for hunters, conservation, and on a larger scale, for humanity.
“We have lost an icon in the hunting industry,” Cook said. “If you have ever been to the NWTF Convention, or hear him speak at a seminar, he speaks with his heart. When he spoke at local banquets he had a call for every child in attendance.”
Kirby is survived by his wife Beverly, his sons Scott and Christian, and daughters Michelle and Rebecca. He had three grandchildren.
(http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq297/dawgpredator77/PPHA/kirby.jpg)