Michael J. Quirk
Friday, January 13, 2006
Michael J. Quirk, 85, a retired Air Force colonel who was active in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, died Jan. 5 of respiratory failure at a hospital in Pensacola, Fla. A former Washington resident, he lived in Navarre, Fla.
After becoming a double ace, he was shot down by groundfire while strafing a German airport in September 1944 and spent the remainder of World War II as a German prisoner in Stalag Luft 1 in Barth, Germany.
He was born in Port Henry, N.Y., and moved to Washington when he was 3. He graduated from  St. John's College and Catholic   University. He entered the Army Air Corps in 1941, graduated from Flying School and was assigned to the 56th Fighter Group, the first group deployed to England.
He spent his entire career flying fighter aircraft, from P-47s in World War II to F-4s in Vietnam, serving overseas in England, Libya, Vietnam, Spain and Bolivia, where he was caught up in a revolution and helped evacuate Americans to safety.
During his 30-year career in the Air Force, Col. Quirk received numerous awards, including the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross with four oak-leaf clusters and the Purple Heart.
After retiring in 1970 and moving to Florida, Col. Quirk and his wife became active members of the U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. He became flotilla commander of the Pensacola flotilla and division captain and later served as rear commodore east. Two years later, he was elected district commodore of the eight-state southern region. He served almost 20 years before ill health led him to retire in 2003.
A son, Michael Quirk Jr., died in 1992.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Kathryn "Kit" Quirk, whom he married in 1944, of Navarre; six children, Sharyn Figgins of Milton, Fla.; Connie Quirk-McKinney of Snellville, Ga., Kathleen Moro of Miami, Penny Pait of Pensacola, Patrick Quirk of Houston and Denise Whitlock of St. Augustine, Fla.; 14 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.