March 28, 2024

Robert Kirlin

Greenfield

Robert “Skip” Kirlin, 89, of Greenfield died Monday, May 13, 2019, at Adair County Memorial Hospital in Greenfield.

Funeral services will be 1:30 p.m. Monday, May 20, at Greenfield United Methodist Church with burial in Greenfield Cemetery. A luncheon will be held at the church following the burial. The Rev. Eric Schubert will officiate. Open visitation will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 19, at Steen Funeral Home, 101 SE Fourth St., in Greenfield with family present from 3 to 5 p.m. Memorials are to the Robert Kirlin memorial fund to be determined. Online condolences may be left at www.steenfunerals.com.

Robert “Skip” Kirlin, son of L.A. and Mary Kirlin, was born Dec. 10, 1929, in Greenfield. Bob completed his education all within the Greenfield Public School System. He worked after school and all his spare time for his father at Kirlin Auto Co.

On Nov. 4, 1950, Bob married Norma Louis Harris at the United Methodist Church in Greenfield. Bob continued working full-time at Kirlin Auto Co. until 1962, when he purchased the business. In 1963, he expanded the business by adding Chrysler, Plymouth and Dodge Trucks to the dealership. In 1965, Bob won a trip to Madrid, Spain, and in 1966, to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for outstanding sales with Chrysler Plymouth. He went on to become the third-largest volume dealer in the state of Iowa for Chrysler Plymouth in 1967. Bob was one the first automobile dealers in the United States to be named into the Chrysler PentaStar Awards Program for both sales and service. Bob’s success in the automobile industry won him many more awards. Bob and Norma closed their business in 2002.

Bob and Norma lived in Greenfield until 2003, when they moved to Indianola to be closer to their daughter and her family. Bob worked for Champion Motors in Indianola as a sales person until 2009, when he retired. In 2015, Bob moved to his son’s home in Colorado, where he resided until May 8, 2019, and then moved to Greenfield Rehabilitation and Health Care Center.

Bob was a lifelong member of United Methodist Church in Greenfield.

Bob is survived by his sister Norma (Richard) Hofmann of Bettendorf; son Roger (Renee) Kirlin of Golden, Colorado; granddaughter Kelly (Toby) Schill and great-grandsons, Henry and Hunter of Chico, California; daughter Lynne (Dick) Schaefer and grandson Michael of Indianola; nieces, Diane (Maurie) Gomez of Davenport and Barbara (Charlie) Fujimoto of Oro Valley, Arizona; great-nephews, Jason, Jeremy and Corey; great-niece Skylar; other relatives and friends.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, L.A. and Mary Kirlin, and wife Norma.