Kirk black Obituary: The family of a well-known Des Moines architect who passed away in 2016 has been ordered by a judge to receive $6.25 million from a man.
On January 24, 2016, 62-year-old Kirk Blunck was discovered unresponsive on a stairway in the East Village office building where he worked. He eventually passed away from his wounds. Zachary A. Gaskill’s family claimed in a wrongful death lawsuit that Blunck was killed due to the attack.
Gaskill must pay the damages requested by the Blunck family after Polk County District Court Judge Samantha Gronewald issued an order mandating them on Friday.
For a loss of companionship and love as a result of his passing, Blunck’s wife, Doreen Blunck, will receive $500,000 in damages, and each of his three children will receive $250,000.
Additionally, Gronewald granted Gaskill’s request for $5 million in punitive damages from the Blunck family. Gaskill, a former minor league football player from Des Moines who is 27 years old, is not facing any charges. Authorities have previously stated that the two guys were strangers.
The attorney Steven Wander stated last month that the action is about bringing the family closure and that they do not anticipate any financial compensation.
The Blunck family presented their case for damages at a court hearing last month, but Gaskill did not show up and has not answered the wrongful death complaint.
Gronewald stated in her order that she must take the lawsuit’s claims into account before deciding because Gaskill did not react. According to Gronewald, the claims give reason to believe Gaskill acted with “a wanton and intentional disregard for the rights or safety of another.”
This kind of deliberate disregard for another person’s life has always been illegal, according to Gronewald, who stated in her ruling that it is the most straightforward situation in which punitive penalties are appropriate.
Who Is He?
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At 62, Kirk V. Blunck passed away in Des Moines on January 24, 2016. He was born on October 27, 1953, in Des Moines, where he has lived all of his life as the son of Darrel and Pat Blunck. His children Ryan S. Blunck of San Francisco, CA, Lauren B. (Andrew) Gulotta of New York, NY, and Kaitlin R. Blunck of Des Moines survive him along with his wife, Doreen M. Blunck.
His siblings also survive him, Laura Blunck (Jeff Weiss) of Des Moines, Scott (Beverly) Blunck of St. Augustine, FL, and Karen Blunck (Michael) Caligiuri of Norwalk.
Kirk earned his high school diploma from Abraham Lincoln High School in 1972, his bachelor’s degree in science in art and design from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1976, and his master’s degree in architecture from the University of Oregon in 1978.
He served as salutatorian and class president at Lincoln High School. Later, he was admitted into the hall of fame at Lincoln High School. He presided over the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity at MIT.
Kirk made essential contributions to design excellence, public knowledge of architecture, and the union of architecture and the arts through his leadership, public advocacy, and unwavering enthusiasm.
In work ranging from the tiniest private projects to the most impressive general urban design and art projects, he aggressively spearheaded a quest for design perfection.
Kirk, a principal at Knowles Blunck Architecture, won 84 architectural honors. In 1995, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) recognized him as a Fellow. The most fantastic accolade the AIA can give an architecture business is the AIA Architecture Firm Award, which Kirk and his colleagues at HLKB Architecture received in 2001.
The AIA gave him the 2002 National Honor Award for Interior Architecture for Sticks and the 1999 National Honor Award for Interior Architecture for the M.C. Ginsberg Objects of Art. He won honors from the publications Industrial Design, Interiors, Business Week, and Architectural Record.
He has contributed significantly to some of Des Moines’ most important institutions, including the Western Gateway Plan, Des Moines Art Center, Salisbury House, and Hoyt Sherman Place, earning him a reputation as one of Iowa’s top historical preservation experts.
As editor of the Iowa Architect, he established a renowned, award-winning publication that covered themes related to architecture, art, graphic design, and urban planning across the country. He put together the first thorough reference work on notable local architecture while serving as editor of Architecture at Hand.
Kirk got associated with the Des Moines Art Center in 1980, and he later served as its president and on the board (1989–2008). He continued to be an Honorary Trustee and sat on the Acquisitions Committee.
Kirk personally developed, repaired, and restored the first buildings in the East Village beginning in the late 1990s, creating the foundation for the thriving neighborhood it is today.
The Teachout Building, the Hohberger Building, and the Locust Tap are examples of these structures. Kirk is credited with leading the neighborhood’s rehabilitation and revitalization initiatives in Stuart and Perry, Iowa.
Kirk always made time for his friends and family, especially his kids. His favorite memories are of summers on Cape Cod with his family, cheering on his kids in their extracurricular and sports pursuits.
He was heavily interested in baseball and soccer at Roosevelt High School. The Roosevelt Baseball Facility, which he dedicated after his father Darrel H. Blunck, was planned by him, and he oversaw its financing.
The viewing hours on Thursday at Iles Funeral Homes – Dunn’s Chapel, 2121 Grand Avenue, are from 5 to 8 p.m. The Dunn’s Chapel will hold the funeral services on Friday at 1 p.m.
