Madelan Brock Kirby

Madelan (Brock) Kirby (December 26, 1947 to May 14, 2025) of Mozelle passed away peacefully at Wells Hospice Center in Hazard, Ky. A private family memorial will be held at a later date.

She is survived by her son, Neil (Anna) Kirby of Advance, Indiana; daughter Shannon (Kirby) Kwiatkowski of Nunnelly, Tennessee; and son Chadwick (MaryAnn) Kirby of Mozelle, Kentucky. Her grandchildren include Brenden Kirby of Sweden; Richard (Jennifer) Kirby of Valparaiso, Indiana; Stefan Kwiatkowski of Grove City, Ohio; Reagan Kwiatkowski of Mobile, Alabama; Ashlyn Pittman of Morgan City, Louisiana; Hunter Kirby of Mozelle, Kentucky; and 3 great-granddaughters Lucille Kirby, Marigold Kirby, and Elayne Pittman-Buford.

Although she was number 10 of 11 children, she is survived by brothers William Merel (Cathy) Brock, of Pennsylvania; Delano (Fay) Brock of Robards, Kentucky; and Curtis (Becky) Brock, Stamping Ground, Kentucky.

She was preceded in death by the father of her children (ex-husband) Gary L. Kirby, her parents Ail and Ora (Muncy) Brock, and son-in-law David S. Kwiatkowski.

Although she was born in Harlan, she spent the largest part of her life in Stone Coal in Leslie County. She was a 1965 graduate of Leslie County High. During her life she was a mother, wife, grandmother, great grandmother, gardener, beekeeper, preschool teacher with the Red Bird Mission’s Early Childhood Development program, and an EMT. Madelan’s Appalachian roots run deep, as the daughter of a coal miner, and the granddaughter of a moonshiner. She was always proud of her roots. Her legacy is that of strength and independence.