Robert Kirkwood Cooley, 78, of Robinson, Illinois, formerly of Hammond, Indiana, passed away on March
9, 2025 at Crawford Memorial Hospital in Robinson.
Born on August 3, 1946, in Vincennes, Indiana, he was the son of the late Thomas Robert Cooley and
Lillian Ellen Wright. He graduated from Donald E. Gavit High School in Hammond in 1964.
Known by many names, his family called him "Kirk," his in-laws knew him as "Bob," and his friends often
referred to him as "Captain Kirk" or "Mr. Breeze."
Kirk proudly served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1970, achieving the rank of Sergeant while stationed in
Germany and Vietnam, where he obtained the nickname "Spade." After his service, he moved to rural
Crawford County with his sister and brother-in-law, where he met the love of his life, Rheta "Susie" Hires,
at church in Oblong, Illinois. They married on New Year's Day in 1973 and built a life together in the
Robinson and Porterville area, raising three children.
He dedicated his life to helping o

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