| Birth: | Aug. 24, 1911
Covington
Kenton County
Kentucky, USA | | Death: | Mar. 15, 2000
Shell Point Village
Lee County
Florida, USA | 
Television Personality, Actor. Durward Kirby was the well-known sidekick on "The Garry Moore Show," starting in 1950-1951 during the days of live television. Kirby was a sketch actor, singer, dancer, and pitched sponsors' products. Kirby was also a co-host (1961-1966) with Allen Funt of Candid Camera (which started on TV as a segment on the Moore show). Occasionally (erroneously) reported as born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Kirby's family moved to Indianapolis when he was 15, and he graduated from Arsenal Technical High School ("Tech") in Indianapolis in 1930. Kirby was working towards aeronautical engineering degree at Purdue University (Lafayette, Indiana) when he got his first taste of radio work as a fill-in announcer at Purdue's radio station (WBAA). Kirby then went on to work at radio stations in Indianapolis, Cincinnati (WLW) and Chicago, and is in the Indiana Broadcasters and the Greater Cincinnati Broadcasting Halls of Fame. Kirby saw military service in the Navy during World War II, then returned to start a television career in New York (NBC). Kirby once said in an interview, "I've done just about everything in broadcasting - covered news, special events, disasters, sports, political conventions. I've had a news commentary show, done interviews, audience participation shows, sold products." Kirby wrote three books: "My Life, Those Wonderful Years," "Bits and Pieces of This and That" and a children's book called "Dooley Wilson." Kirby was married to Mary Paxton Young, an only child of Frank W. and Mary (Paxton) Young. They had two sons. Sometimes his name is seen misspelled as Durwood. Kirby died of congestive heart failure in a nursing home in Fort Myers (Shell Point Village), Lee County, Florida. A son reports, the Kirbys "built a summer home in Sherman, CT in the mid 1950's and truly loved that area of Connecticut. Coburn Cemetery, where they are buried, is across the lake from that house." (bio by: Rick France)
Family links:
Spouse:
Mary Paxton Young Kirby (1914 - 1994)*
*Calculated relationship
Search Amazon for Durward Kirby | | | Burial:
Coburn Cemetery
Sherman
Fairfield County
Connecticut, USA |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Originally Created by: Rick France
Record added: Jul 15, 2005
Find A Grave Memorial# 11360807 |
|
|
|
Do you have a photo to add? Click here |
(4.2 after 77 votes)
