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- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 28 Mar 2014.
Massage therapist, Lisa Kirk, dies at 51
BY DENISE WILLIAMS
Tribune Staff Writer
Long-time Morristown massage therapist Lisa E. Kirk, of Kirk & Kirk Health Clinic, died Thursday, March 6, 2014.
Kirk was born in Chestnut Hill community of Jefferson County on Jan. 28, 1963. She was the daughter of Raymond and Dortha Ann Ellis.
Lisa and her husband, chiropractor Dr. Mike D. Kirk, married on Aug. 25, 1990. While he completed Life University to earn his doctor of chiropractic degree, Lisa attended the Atlanta School of Massage in 1991 and became a licensed massage therapist. She practiced massage therapy in Marietta, Ga. for three years. Following her husband's graduation, the couple returned home to the Lakeway area, where they opened Kirk & Kirk Health Clinic on Nov. 28, 1994.
Lisa was the first licensed massage therapist in Morristown to practice in a clinical environment. Often, her clients later became her friends.
That was the case with Kyle Underwood, who said he met her as a client and had been a close friend of the couple for 20 years.
"I loved her very much," Underwood said. "She was like a sister to me."
Underwood said that one of the things that drew them together as friends was Lisa's strong faith. Words he used to describe her included fun loving, loving, someone who put others first and professional at whatever she did.
"But at the top of the list, was her love for Christ," he said.
Longtime friend Nancy Henson agreed. "We spent many hours together reading the Bible, praying and having devotional time," Henson said of her friend of seven or eight years.
She, too, first met Lisa as a client. She started getting massages at Kirk & Kirk after receiving a gift certificate as a birthday present. "The first time I went, I was hooked," Henson said. In addition to her professionalism and skill in treating her clients, Henson said Lisa offered her friends something even more valuable. "She was a great listener. You could share anything with her," she said.
Both of her friends described her as special and vibrant. "She just loved life," Underwood said. According to Henson, she also loved attending movies and sharing a bucket of popcorn. One of Lisa's best loves was what she had for animals, especially cats. She had two rescues of her own" Allie and Harley" and worked tirelessly to find homes for other animals. She served on the board of directors at Noah's Arc Animal Sanctuary for many years, where she was the organizer of several fundraising events, including the fashion show each November and the Christmas calendar contest. "She was such a vibrant person," said Susan Widener, director of the no-kill shelter. "She was always full of good fundraising ideas and had the energy to make them work for us. It's going to be hard to be without her." Lisa was a member of First Baptist Church of Morristown, where she was a Sunday school teacher for several years. She loved the Lord and was not shy about sharing her faith. Lisa "was definitely a servant" Henson said. "She would just reach out and take care of whatever she could do for them (people in need)."
"She was just a special people," Underwood agreed.
Kirk is survived by her husband, Dr. Mike D. Kirk, parents, Raymond and Dortha Ann Ellis; brother and wife, Darrell and Brenda Ellis, all of Chestnut Hill in Jefferson County; niece and husband, Whitney and Ben Ehlers; great-nieces Alexis and Ginia Ehlers; great-nephew Jaxon Ehlers, all of Bethel Park, Pa., father- and mother-in-law, Hal and Nancy Kirk, of Mohawk.
Memorial remembrances may be made to Noah's Ark. All donations can be dropped off or mailed to Kirk & Kirk Health Clinic, 1539 W. Andrew Johnson Hwy., Morristown, TN 37814.
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
Name: Raymond C Ellis
Titles and Terms:
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 25 Aug 1955
Event Place: Cocke, Tennessee, United States
Age: 24
Birth Year (Estimated): 1931
Father's Name:
Father's Titles and Terms:
Mother's Name:
Mother's Titles and Terms:
Spouse's Name: Dortha Ann Thornton
Spouse's Titles and Terms:
Spouse's Age: 23
Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1932
Spouse's Father's Name:
Spouse's Father's Titles and Terms:
Spouse's Mother's Name:
Spouse's Mother's Titles and Terms:
Reference ID:
GS Film number: 1669918
Digital Folder Number: 004485979
Image Number: 02814
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