David C. Kirker, 66, a resident of Coupeville, died Jan. 17, 2008, in St. Joseph Hospital, Bellingham.

A native of New Castle, Penn., Dave retired from the Navy in 1977 as a chief petty officer. He worked an additional 20 years as an aerospace engineer in Southern California before retiring from the McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company in 1997.

In 1972, he and the former Lorraine Amann were married in San Francisco, Calif. In 2001, after four years of traveling the country in their RV, Dave and Lorraine made their long-planned move to Whidbey Island.

In addition to his wife, Dave is survived by his brother Thomas (Sally) of New Castle, Penn.; nephews Thomas of Topeka, Kansas, and Phillip (Debby) of Roscoe, Ill.; and two great nephews.

Memorials may be made to the Port Townsend Aero Museum, PO Box 101, Chimacum, WA 98325 for their work with youth, or to a favorite charity.