Kenyon Matthew Kirn

Kenyon Matthew Kirn, 21, passed away on November 6th, 2024. He is survived by his loving parents, Matthew and Laurie; his sisters, Karin and Kaitlin; and countless family members and friends. From a young age, Kenyon possessed an unending well of creativity and accumulated a wide range of passions and talents throughout his life. He loved to forge and create, be it a drawing, special effects makeup, or video storytelling. More than anything, he cherished the friendships he made throughout his life. He was a senior at his beloved James Madison University and aspired to become a film producer or videographer. His career choice was no surprise; ever since he could hold a camera, Kenyon would write and direct short films, enlisting his sisters and friends to play the characters. But Kenyon was not defined by his life goals; indeed, he was the embodiment of “living in the moment”. A gentle and caring soul, he found joy in the simple pleasures of late-night chats with friends, inside jokes, scoring soccer goals and listening to classic rock n' roll.  However, his favorite thing to do was spending quality time with his family, including the cats.

Love found itself drawn to him and existed perpetually within and around him. He could fill a melancholy room with belly laughter. For those who felt they didn’t belong, he was home. Perhaps the greatest testament to the depth of Kenyon’s kindness is that we cannot remember a single time he lost his temper. He never fought, and he never judged. He was - and still is - our world, and our light. Thank you to those who gave him the courage to shine brighter and thank you to the first responders who did everything in their power to save him.