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Sierra Club People:
Kirk Koepsel, In Memoriam
It is with the deepest sadness and regret that the Sierra Club mourns the passing of a very dear, well liked, and respected field staff colleague. On February 15, 2007, Northern Plains Senior Regional field staffer Kirk Koepsel died of a massive heart attack playing hockey in Sheridan, WY. He was 47.
Kirk has served with distinction in the Sierra Club field system for several decades. His passion came in his work around wildlife issue, public lands and population issues. Kirk served on the Population Committee for nearly a decade and most recently served on the National Parks Committee where he was active in the Committee's "gap analysis" on our Park System. With Kirk's hard work and leadership, he helped pass the Wyoming Wilderness Act. He also worked on establishing a trail system in Wyoming and was a fierce advocate for North Dakota's grasslands. Kirk was a visible and passionate spokesperson across the region on behalf of the Club's conservation agenda.
Kirk also served as a Sierra Club Outings leader.
Kirk was known and respected for his hard work, smart strategic advice, and dedication to the Club, his staff colleagues, and the volunteers he knew and loved. Kirk was always fun to work with. His sense of humor and love for life, his work, and his family was contagious.
Kirk was awarded the Sierra Club's Community Service Award in 1997. The Community Service Award is given in recognition of a commitment to helping others through public service and community involvement in a non-Sierra Club cause. Kirk was selected in recognition of his leadership roles with volunteer organizations that help people in his community, and for the years he has spent as a Big Brother. In 1997 he was the President of the Sheridan Lion's Club, and Kirk led it's community programs such as collecting used eyeglasses to send to underprivileged youth in third world countries, picking up litter along the highways, coordinating fund-raising activities for the Special Olympics, and organizing a program for taking underprivileged youth on bird hunting trips. Kirk also at that time served as Chair of the county Democratic party, was a member of the state Democratic Party Central Committee, and ran for the Wyoming House of Representatives. Kirk also served in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica.
In addition to his outstanding work on behalf of the Club, Kirk was dedicated and passionate about his family. Kirk and his daughter Katya, took annual "father/daughter" trips together. Kirk loved the outdoors and loved to travel around the world. Kirk was survived by his daughter Katya and his wife Karen Walmsley.
The Sierra Club mourns Kirk's passing and extends its deepest sympathies to Karen, Katya, and Kirk's family, friends, and colleagues.