Kelley Reece Pirkle entered his heavenly home on Wednesday evening October 23rd 2024. After a nearly five-year battle with cancer, Kelley passed peacefully in his sleep while at home surrounded by family. Kelley’s journey touched the lives of many, leaving behind a legacy of strength and resilience. His unwavering spirit in the face of adversity was an inspiration to all who knew him.
SGT. Pirkle was a valuable member of the Lubbock Police Department for 25 years where he worked diligently with his fellow officers. He was a sniper team leader for the LPD SWAT team, a supervisor at the regional Texas Anti-Gang Center, a renowned instructor and a regional director for the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association.
Kelley was born in Plainview, TX on November 24th 1965 to parents Richard Pirkle and Patricia Gallaway Pirkle. Kelley married Terri Jean Peterson on July 7th 1990. They were married for 34 years and raised 3 boys, Kody, Kolton and Kutter. Kelley most enjoyed hunting, shooting sports and spending meaningful time with family and friends. Kelley also had a passion for training fellow officers and spreading his ever-growing knowledge to as many as possible. He was a hard-working and fervent man who helped to train and mentor many generations of police officers. Despite the advanced stage of his cancer and constant treatments, Kelley continued to work and teach until just a few months before his passing. He even continued to serve on the Lubbock PD SWAT team for nearly four years after his diagnosis with stage 4 lung cancer.
Kelley is survived by his wife, three sons, father, sister Tana Morton, and many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and in-laws. He is preceded in death by his mother Pat Pirkle and father-in-law Joel Peterson.
Kelley set a tremendous example as a parent, spouse, Christian and public servant. All of our memories with him will be cherished forever and he will be deeply missed by a great many.
In lieu of flowers, if you would prefer to put your money toward something more meaningful, a memorial fund in Kelley’s honor has been set up through the Lubbock SWAT foundation. All donations made to this fund will be earmarked for use by officers in his entire region or beyond to attend training that they or their departments would otherwise not be able to afford. Kelley was a huge proponent of training to further officer’s skills on the job so that they could remain safe and better serve their community, so we think this is a great way to honor him. The link to donate directly to this fund is included below.
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/ea1941ee-153f-4e0d-8a78-c250e6e02d66
To send flowers to the family or place a tree in memory of Kelley Reece Pirkle, please visit our Tribute Store.