Obituary: Phyllis Rae (Herold) Kirkham

Obituary
2 days ago
1 min read

Phyllis Rae (Herold) Kirkham, 71, passed away on July 20, 2026, in Juneau, Alaska.

Phyllis was born on March 1st, 1955, in Billings, Montana to Joseph and Clara Herold. She was the second youngest of eight siblings: Richard Haich, Jackie Frickey, Karen Caron, Conrad Herold, Mike Herold, Patty Smith, and Colleen Hudgins.

Phyllis spent her childhood years in Montana, and moved to Salem, Oregon with her family during high school. During her junior year, Phyllis met Lynn Kirkham on a blind double date arranged by mutual friends. Phyllis and Lynn enjoyed their evening at the bowling alley and soon became a couple. They were married on February 7th, 1976, in Salem, Oregon.

After the birth of their oldest daughter, Laura, they decided to move to Lynn’s hometown of Juneau, Alaska. In August of 1981, they journeyed north and settled into Juneau where they had three more children, Janelle, Luke and Michelle. Phyllis spent most of her time as a stay-at-home mom but was always willing to lend a helping hand to others. She loved to read, cross-country ski, swim, and walk at the glacier.

She is survived by her husband, Lynn Kirkham; her children: Laura (Rob) Butler, Janelle (Erik) Anderson, Luke Kirkham, and Michelle (Dylan) Kirkham; and four grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be held for Phyllis at the Auke Recreation Eagle Shelter from 2–4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026.