Long-time Harlan Enterprise/Middlesboro News employee passes away
Published 9:30 am Thursday, October 24, 2024
A well-loved former Harlan County resident and former employee of the Harlan Enterprise and later the Middlesboro News, Roger Kirk, recently passed away of cancer in North Carolina.
Kirk was a native of Harlan County, born on April, 25, 1955. He began a career in the newspaper industry that spanned over 4 decades when he took a job at the Harlan Daily Enterprise in the 1970s. He started at the Enterprise as a sports photographer, eventually moving to the print department where he shined as a pressman.
A pressman is the person in charge of the printing press, responsible for the physical production of a newspaper.
Nola Sizemore worked with Kirk at the Harlan Enterprise during the 1970s and again many years later after she retired from another career.
“He was a good guy,” Sizemore said in a social media post. “He always had a kind word and would help if he could. I worked with him back in the early 1970s at the Harlan Daily Enterprise downtown—we had a lot of laughs…then worked with him again at the paper after I retired from the state…he will be missed.”
When the Harlan Daily Enterprise ceased print operations on site, Kirk moved to the Middlesboro Daily News where he continued his newspaper work. Eventually, he moved to Mt. Airy, North Carolina, where he continued his career with Mt. Airy News until he retired.
Kirk passed away peacefully in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on Sunday, Oct. 13, following a short battle with cancer.
There will be a Celebration of Life held for Kirk on Oct. 26, from noon until 2p.m. at the Harlan Funeral Home in Harlan. It is suggested attendees wear sports-related attire or whatever is most comfortable in honor of Kirk. Planned for the celebration are card games, stories, light refreshments, and sharing of good memories in honor of Kirk.
In lieu of flowers, donations to a Child Advocacy Center near you would be greatly appreciated and encouraged.