Elizabeth Kirk-Anderson

Elizabeth “Liz” E.W. Kirk-Anderson, 83, of Shippensburg, formerly of Baltimore, departed this life on the evening of Tuesday, October 8, 2024, at her home.

She was born in Baltimore, on January 31, 1944, daughter of the late Walter L. and Beatrice (Gartside) Kirk. 

Liz was the co-founder of the Animal Welfare League of Greater Baltimore, and its CEO for over forty years. She was well known in the statewide animal welfare field. Liz was one of the co-founders of the Pets on Wheels, a program established initially by The Honorable W.D. Schaefer, then Mayor of Baltimore. She was also appointed to the first Animal Welfare/Control Task Force, also established by Mayor Schaefer, and was on the committee that helped plan and develop the location and building of the animal shelter on Stockholm Street in Baltimore City.

The Animal Welfare League was founded in 1970, and established a spay/neuter network program that encompassed a four state cooperative effort. Liz remained close friends for years with by the, Governor Wm. “Don” Schaefer who helped establish the first Senior Pet Housing Program (The P & P Center), in the country.

The Animal Welfare League was also known for operating a low cost spay and neuter clinic in Baltimore for several years, when they purchased a local veterinary clinic and operated a low cost vet service in addition to the spaying program, and at the close of the organization, funds were designated for a “Spay-Neuter” bus with a contract to spay/neuter 10,000 animals in a period of three to five years by the Maryland S.P.C.A.

Liz was known in the neighborhood as the “Animal Lady” and quite often would answer the door to find a police officer asking for help with a stray or with an animal that had been hit with a car. She received the J.C. Penny award twice for her work in the community with the Animal Welfare League of Greater Baltimore, as well as several citations from the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore. Liz also operated her own Pet Taxi service and emergency animal pick-up service. 

During the time of her work with the Animal Welfare League, she also completed the LPN program of the Johnston School at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore. Liz worked in the emergency room for nine years and then worked for the Visiting Nurse Association for another nine years.

She completed her Bachelor's degree in Human Services and Counseling and her Master's degree in Adulthood and Aging at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland. Liz took classes through the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies in Baltimore, and was fascinated by world religions. She attended Lancaster Theological Seminary, St. Mary’s Seminary, and Ecumenical Institute in Baltimore, and completed the Lay Servant requirements through the University of Dubuque and the Methodist Church in Maryland. 

Liz focused on working with Seniors with Catholic Charities for nine years as a Congregate Housing Supervisor and In-Service Education Coordinator. She completed numerous courses in establishing her own company “Heartfelt Geriatric Care Management Services.” She was an early member of the National Association of Geriatric Care managers, and worked for a short time as the Maryland State Ombudsman for the Department of Aging.

Fighting numerous illnesses and hospitalizations, broken bones, surgeries, and auto-immune problems over the years, she kept going, achieving status as a Certified Lay Servant; serving at Faith United Methodist Church in Baltimore City and as a Deacon for thirty years at Zion United Church of Christ in Baltimore. Liz then became a non-denominational minister, acting as a Pastor at the former Memorial Apartments – Bolton Hill in Baltimore for three years; served as a board member of Memorial Apartments; and also provided ministry services for three years at Deer Run Campground in Gardners, PA.

At the age of fifty-five, Liz bought her first motorcycle and traveled to Quebec, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia, all through New England, and up-state New York by herself at least three times, as well as attending numerous rallies for GWRRA in Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Liz was a proud member of the Gold Wing Riders Association Chapter H-Maryland, and had achieved her 30,000 mile pin and Road Captain status. In 2016, Liz purchased her second motorcycle and once again enjoyed riding the beautiful roads of Pennsylvania. 

L:iz, especially, loved traveling in her beloved conversion van “Ramblin Rose” and drove by herself across the country five times to Yellowstone National Park, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. She also drove through and to Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise, British Columbia, and Alaska. Liz had traveled to all but three states in “Rose” and loved Canada from Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island to Vancouver, British Columbia. Yellowstone, however, held a very special place in her heart, where she once spent six weeks attending classes at the Yellowstone Institute, another life changing experience, and returned to Yellowstone about four times after that.

She loved Native American Reservations and loved spending time on the Crow, Navaho, Sioux, Lakota Sioux, The Cheyenne River Sioux, and Shoshone reservations where she connected deeply with the Native American culture.

Liz loved traveling to other countries including England, Russia, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Switzerland, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and numerous British Islands, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda, being one of her absolute favorites. Her favorite quote from Gulliver’s Travels, “When you go to bed, you close your eyes and dream of places you have been and have never seen. When I close my eyes I do not have to dream, for I have seen all these places with my own eyes.”

Liz also had her own photographic greeting and poster card company known as Heartfelt Greetings, and won numerous contests at the Maryland State Fair for her photographs. She was fortunate enough to have been a member of the Baltimore Photo Guild and received training from the famous Aubrey Bodine.

Liz married Robert L. Anderson in 1978 and they continued to live in Baltimore celebrating 45 years in 2015 in her beloved house “Lady Luv” until they moved to Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.

After the move to Pennsylvania, she became a member of the Baha’i group and treasured her association with this group. She was also a member of the Bethel AME church in Carlisle and previously attended Cleversburg UMC in Shippensburg. 

Now she is in the happiest place of her life, reunited with her beloved Creator, and with all of her beloved dogs (45+), not including the numerous cats and birds, and beloved friends and mentors, Amy, Mae, Gus, Jo, Audrey, Joanne, Carol, and her mother Beatrice……..”Wait till you see my brand new home.”

Liz is survived by her husband of over forty years, Robert L. Anderson. 

In honor of Liz it is suggested that you do a random act of kindness or make a donation to your local spay/neuter program. Liz would have loved seeing her life honored by making the world a kinder and more gentle place. 

“Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and great commandment and the second is like unto it, Love thy neighbor (all races, creeds, and colors). On these two commandments depend all the law and prophets. Matthew 22: 37-40 RSV

The Fogelsanger-Bricker Funeral Home & Crematorium, Inc., Shippensburg, has been entrusted with her funeral arrangements. There will be a memorial service, held at 11:00 a.m.,, on Saturday, October 26, 2024, at the funeral home.