Kerry Kilbride's Obituary
Kerry Kilbride, an avid reader, gardener, and all-around brilliant person, died peacefully at home on May 29, 2025. His wife Jane Kilbride and his son Kevin Kilbride preceded him in death. He is survived by his children Jane DeNeefe of Huntsville, Robert DeNeefe of Fairhope, and Ellen DeNeefe Holbrooks of Franklin NC. The DeNeefes feel profound gratitude for the example Kerry set in his manner of living, the wisdom and encouragement he gave us, and above all, his loving care of our mother Jane until she died in 2023. We will miss him.
Kerry was born in Prescott, Arizona on April 23, 1937 to Edward and Maybelle (Graham) Kilbride. After graduating high school in Honolulu in 1955, he took courses at the University of Hawaii until transferring to the University of California, Berkeley, where he completed his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in 1960. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1960-64, mostly stationed in Japan, and rising to the rank of First Lieutenant. He was exactly the kind of worker Huntsville's economy was looking for.
Kerry spent his entire career in the constantly-evolving field of computer science until retiring from Intergraph in 1998. A younger colleague who worked with Kerry over forty years ago recalls, "He was a master of his craft and I learned a lot from him, about how to take a complex problem and turn it into a lot of simple ones. The skill it takes to do that still serves me well today... He was a guru and I was low on the learning curve. I spent a lot time reading his code. It was highly methodical and poetic at the same time."
"Highly methodical and poetic" describes everything Kerry did, from planning his exercise to planting his garden. He was faithful in caring for his pets and his old house. When his wife Jane choreographed an Angel Dance to perform on their front porch during the Old Town luminaries, Kerry served as stage crew, responsible for lights and sound. When she decided to make a large beaded curtain from random thrifted jewelry, he made sure it would be structurally sound enough to support the weight. For years he grew enough collards, turnip greens, mustard, kale and sweet potatoes to give away generously. When Jane broke her neck, Kerry quit gardening to care for her full time.
Kerry Kilbride lived a good and well-considered life. At his request, there will be no memorial service. If you have a fond memory of him to share, you are welcome to post it in the comments here, or reach out to a family member.
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