Obituary: Ann Kirby

Ann Lorraine Bulleit Kirby, 84, longtime resident of Oxford, Ohio, died on the evening of April 25, 2026 at McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital. 

Ann was born to Robert Bulleit and Dorothy Simler Bulleit in French Lick, Indiana and raised in nearby Corydon where many generations of her family lived. 

After attending Indiana University, she graduated from Indiana State University and taught in Elkhart, Indiana.  While visiting her sister in Oxford, she met Jack Temple Kirby, whom she married in 1967. The couple was later divorced. 

Ann served as chair of the Oxford Recreation Board and president of the McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital Auxiliary. She was an advisor to the Chi Omega Sorority. An avid tennis player who also enjoyed rounds of golf, Ann was an active member of the Oxford-Western Tennis Association and the Oxford Country Club. Throughout her years in town, she was also dedicated to her bridge and dinner groups. Known for her good humor and direct talk, Ann was beloved by a large circle of friends.

She is survived by her daughter, Valerie Anne Kirby (Mark Bruhn), her son, Matthew Bulleit Kirby (Yvens de Thelismond), two grandchildren, Ella and Sophie, as well as treasured nieces and nephews. Her parents and sister, Betty Bulleit Boggs, predeceased her. A celebration of Ann’s life will be held at a later date. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to the McCullough-Hyde Foundation or the Oxford Community Arts Center.

This obituary was originally published by Paul R. Young Funeral Home.