Mary Jane Woolridge Kirk, 87, formerly of New Madrid, Mo., passed away Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau.

She had been a resident of Jackson Manor Nursing Home since January.

She was born Sept. 30, 1923, at Fontmell Magna, Shaftesbury, Dorset, England, daughter of Harold Arthur and Mary Jane Edwards Woolridge.

Mary was a member of Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), serving as a member of the nursing auxiliary helping with the Children's Sick Bay out of England and served as a member of Motor Transports with the British Royal Air Force from 1942 to 1945 during World War II.

She met James Roger Kirk, a private in the U.S. Army stationed in Malvern, England. They married there Oct. 27, 1944. She sailed from Southampton, England, on Feb. 28, 1946, on the S.S. Brazil, arriving in New York March 9, 1946.

She and Roger made their home in New Madrid. He preceded her in death Feb. 6, 2006.

Survivors include a son, Roger H. (Kay) Kirk of Jackson; a daughter, Jane Ann (Jim) Wooley of DeBary, Fla.; a stepdaughter, Sue Kelly of Tampa, Fla.; five grandchildren, Maj. Jason (Aya) Kirk of Liberty Lake, Wash., Alyssa (Drake) Seabaugh of Jackson, Steven (Mendy) Kirk of Gordonville, John Kirk of Cape Girardeau, Ryan (Ashley) Wooley of Orange City, Fla.

Also four stepgrandchildren, Eric (Jodi) Wooley of DeBary, Patty Ellsworth, Gina Haddard and Marty Cobb, all of Tampa; six great-grandchildren; 11 great-stepgrandchildren; two sisters, Nan Hajducsek of Fort Washington, Md., Joan Sims of England; and a brother, Doug Woolridge of England.

She was preceded in death by two brothers, Arthur and Harold; a sister, Sheila; and a stepsister, Hilda.

The funeral will be at 10 a.m. today at Richards Funeral Home in New Madrid, with James Carter officiating. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Jason Kirk, Drake Seabaugh, Steven Kirk, Michael Porter, John Kirk and Jimmy Henderson.