Late Gov. Kirk lauded in state capital; funeral set for Monday in Palm Beach - Palm Beach Post
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
TALLAHASSEE — Generations of Florida political figures converged Friday on the Old Capitol to pay their final respects to former Gov. Claude Kirk, sharing stories, tears and plenty of laughs about the freewheeling figure who cemented his place in history with his 1966 election as the state's first Republican governor since Reconstruction.
Kirk died Wednesday at his home in West Palm Beach at age 85. Gov. Rick Scott, former Govs. Reubin Askew, Bob Martinez and Wayne Mixson were among the dozens of mourners who filed passed Kirk's flag-draped coffin Friday, lying in state in a sunlit corridor at the historic capitol.
"I know he's the happiest man right now, because of all the attention he's getting," said Frank Kirk, a son, who acknowledged his father was able to dominate a room with both his style and political substance.
"He was really something. I'm going to miss him," added Erik Kirk, another of the late governor's seven children.
Kirk was governor from 1967 to 1971. He led the state through a tumultuous era of divided government, constitutional revision, combative special sessions and the dawn of Walt Disney World.
Following his one term, Kirk remained on the political landscape as a frequent statewide candidate and outspoken observer, rarely shying from an extended microphone.
"He was a real character, a fine Marine by the way," said former state Comptroller Bob Milligan, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant general. "I think he really, with all his heart, gave to the state. That's his legacy. He always had the people of Florida as his goal.
"He'll be missed," Milligan added. "His character will be missed."
R.Z. "Sandy" Safley, a former state legislator, worked as a 23-year-old aide to Kirk's lieutenant governor, Ray Osborne. Waiting in line to say goodbye to his boss's former boss, Safley remembered traveling the state with Kirk on the state plane, then a propeller-driven Douglas DC-3.
"It was slow," Safley said. "We'd have a lot of time to talk and I learned a lot from him. He was one of the most intelligent people I ever met. And fun."
Former Florida Secretary of State Bruce Smathers said Kirk was committed to reshaping state government and was ahead of his time with his concern for water quality and availability.
But Kirk could also get away with stuff the average public official couldn't, Smathers said. He remembered attending the 2010 funeral of former Jacksonville Mayor Lou Ritter, when Kirk left the pulpit to eulogize his old friend by standing next to the casket, which he occasionally pounded for emphasis.
"People were kind of shocked," Smathers recalled. "But he made his point. You know, there's a fine line between being a boob and being brilliant. Claude Kirk was brilliant."
A funeral service will be held 1 p.m. Monday in Palm Beach at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church. A private graveside service will be held at South Florida National Cemetery.
Former Gov. Bob Martinez, who became Florida's second Republican governor of the 20th century two decades after Kirk, called him a pathfinder for those in the party. He also remembered Kirk's grasp of issues -- recalling that the two were part of a political panel only months ago.
"He was on the mark on the issues, as he generally always was," Martinez said. "But he always spun it a little bit differently than most people would."
John_Kennedy@pbpost.com
01 Oct, 2011--
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