BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – As the sun set over Sand Point Park in Titusville Friday night, hundreds of people stood in respectful silence, as they listened to stories about Jessie Kirk, the beloved philanthropist whom police say was murdered last week.
Titusville police found the remains of Jessie Kirk, 72, last week, two days after she was reported missing. David Barber, 35, has been charged with Kirk’s murder. Court records identified Barber as the ex-boyfriend of Kirk’s niece.
“I miss her smile and her effervescence,” said Herman Cole, the vice mayor of Titusville.
Speaking to reporter before a vigil Friday night, Cole said he had known Kirk for more than 20 years.
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“Jessie Kirk touched the hearts and minds of everyone within this city,” Cole said.
Born in Malaysia, Kirk earned degrees from the National University of Singapore and a law degree from Oxford University, according to her obituary.
She and her late husband, Bob Kirk, married in 1991 and made a life together in Titusville. She and her husband were deeply involved in philanthropy and real estate. They were recognized in 2014 as ‘Central Florida Humanitarians.’
Friends who spoke at the vigil remembered Kirk for her generous spirit and for her compassion.
“The news media asked me, ‘Are you Jessie’s best friend?’” one woman shared. “And I said, ‘Everybody’s Jessie’s best friend.’”
