Herbert 'Bud' Kirchhoff, 96
Herbert "Bud" Kirchhoff, 96, of Coeur d'Alene, husband of the late Audrey L. Kirchhoff, died peacefully Wednesday night, June 10, at Hospice House. He was born in Peoria, Ill., on June 7, 1919, but grew up in Chicago.
The son of a successful businessman, Bud wanted to try something different, so in 1940 he enlisted in the Army. He went through training stateside and arrived in the Philippines two weeks before the attack on Pearl Harbor. On Dec. 8, 1941, the Japanese invaded the Philippines and for four months Bud was in a fierce combat zone. Our troops surrendered in April and he unwillingly participated in the Bataan Death March, garnering a Bronze Star for helping a fellow soldier avoid a cruel death. After the march, Bud spent 3 ? years in prison camp in Japan enduring excessively harsh treatment not many miles from Nagasaki, where the atomic bomb led to his release in 1945.
After discharge in 1946, Bud went back to Chicago where he met and married his wife of 56 years in 1947. As they started a family, Bud went to work as a regional sales representative for the Exelon Company, an abrasives manufacturer headquartered in New York. He enjoyed hobbies such as golf and woodworking, and loved to roam hardware stores in his ongoing quest to tinker with things. But above all else was his fondness for dabbling in politics.
Bud immersed himself in many political campaigns, including his own as he gained a seat on the DuPage County Board of Commissioners for multiple terms. As retirement loomed, Bud paid a visit to Coeur d'Alene on advice from a friend and he was smitten. Bud and Audrey pulled up stakes and moved in 1985, developing many close relationships with a wide array of folks. He joined and supported a number of POW organizations in the Northwest. Bud and Audrey enjoyed the loving atmosphere as active members of Grace Bible Church.
In addition to his wife, Bud was preceded in death by his son, Dale, and his sister, Francis.
He is survived by his children: Craig and his wife Pat; Brent and his wife Shelly; and Laura and her husband Paul Kubica; eight grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brothers, Robert of Chicago and Alfred of Bradenton, Fla.
The funeral service will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, at Grace Bible Church, 152 W. Prairie Ave., Coeur d'Alene. The family will receive visitors one hour prior to the service, from 2 to 3 p.m. at Grace Bible Church. Burial will be in the Chicago area next to his beloved wife, Audrey, and son, Dale.
The Kirchhoff family is under the care of Yates Funeral Homes.