The family of Ian Kirwan, the 53-year-old who died following an incident in Redditch on Tuesday 8 March, have paid tribute to him.
We are completely devastated by the loss of Ian. He was the warmest, kindest man who loved his family and friends dearly. Anyone who knew him would have known him to be both intelligent and humble and there for anybody in need.
He worked as a software engineer contractor for Jaguar Land Rover, a job he loved and was incredibly passionate about. His colleagues are shaken by his loss.
Ian had the warmest, silliest, daftest sense of humour that you couldn’t help loving and laughing at. He brought great comfort to those around him and gave the best bear hugs that made you feel safe, protected and loved.
With a fun and happy home life he was an absolute home bird who enjoyed nothing more than time with his wife, family and close friends.
A loving uncle, not just to his three nephews but also to his friends’ children too. His silliness, sense of adventure and love of science and nature made him such a fun uncle to spend time with. Not only did he bring happiness and fun to his nieces and nephews, they brought him great joy too as he doted on them.
Ian was an accomplished musician who loved music and was a talented guitar player. He was also passionately concerned about caring for the planet and justice for others – he had more than his fair share of compassion and showed it every day. An avid animal lover, he loved his rabbits and cat and spoiled them rotten, giving them attention way before greeting his wife. He also often rescued and cared for injured and lost animals.
After sharing 20 years together, Ian leaves behind a loving wife who is heartbroken and describes him as her absolutely favourite person. She has now been robbed of her future with him. He also leaves behind a devastated sister and sister-in-law, and their two young boys, who will miss out on all of the fun and silly memories that they should have created with him.
He comes from a large family who are all distraught. Ian was particularly close to his mom’s sister and brother but really enjoyed spending time with all of his family near and far.
On his wife’s side, his mother-in-law, partner, brother and sister-in-law, nephew and extended family found him adorable, they loved spending time with him and are also devastated by his loss.
But his close friends were his family too and he was always there for them when they needed him. They are all now shocked and broken by Ian’s death.
In this terrible time we have really appreciated the warmth of so many people who have come together to support us. We send our absolute gratitude to the off duty nurse who tried to save Ian and who was there with him at the end, to the paramedics who attended, the police and our family liaison officer, the staff at ASDA, to all of our friends and family who have reached out and to the wider Redditch community and beyond who have shown their support either in messages directly to us or via social media and to all those that have laid flowers at the scene.
No one ever imagines losing someone in this terrible way, so senseless and needlessly. A hole has been created in our lives that can never be filled, but the love and support we have received is helping us begin to try to find a way to work through this awful tragedy.
