Teresa Lena Kirkland

Teresa Lena Kirkland passed away suddenly on Jan. 25th, 2023 while bravely battling cancer. She was born on October 30th, 1971 in Hazard,  KY. Daughter of parents, Janet Christian and Terry Tarter. Survived by her beloved sister, Alicia Plemmons; her loving boyfriend, Wendell Bacon; daughters, Angela Olveda, Amanda Boyce;  son, Jonathan Cannon; granddaughters, Savanna Wright, Kaitlyn Booth; her precious fur baby Max, and many more cousins, nieces, nephews, family and friends across the country. 

 

A ‘wild-child’ growing up, she always said how everything changed for her when she had her children. Her kids were her sole focus, and she worried over and took care of them until the end, sometimes to the exclusion of her own needs. Teresa was a free spirit. It seemed nothing could hold her back or tear her down. She valued loyalty, honesty, and authenticity. She believed that everyone needs an outlet for stress, and her outlet was crafting. She always jumped at an opportunity to bake a cake, plan a baby shower, make wedding decorations and create unique trinkets for her family and friends. 

 

In her free time, she enjoyed traveling across the United States, spending time with friends and family in the mountains of Tennessee or on the beaches of Florida. She always said her favorite thing was to feel the wet sand between her toes and smell the salt water in the air.  She loved music; all of it; everything from The Eagles to Carrie Underwood to Kid Rock. She always wished she could dance and spend her days tapping through life making her friends smile. SGT Teresa Kirkland was a proud United States Army Veteran. She enlisted in the Tennessee National Guard out of Smyrna, TN at the age of 36, as a Quartermaster & Chemical Equipment repairer with one deployment to Iraq. 

 

Teresa had an amazing sense of humor and a beautiful laugh! She was not one to hold her tongue and was known to say the most shocking thing she could think of, in hopes of helping you see a new perspective. She made her whole family laugh with her outrageous and sometimes sarcastic sense of humor. She was kind, generous and compassionate. Even when she spoke in anger, she was often the first to apologize and to try to heal what was broken. She believed in autonomy and dignity and a person’s right to choose the life they want. She struggled with the concept of tough love and was fiercely independent. She loved her entire family, despite their quirks and disfunction. She worried about them, rooted for them, protected them, resented them, forgave them, and always kept on loving them.

 

Teresa will be desperately missed by all those that she’s left behind. Our hearts are so broken by this loss. She was one of a kind and to be loved by her was to be truly blessed.

 

A Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, February 1, 2023 at 2:00 PM at McReynolds-Nave & Larson Funeral Home, 1209 Madison Street. Clarksville TN 37040.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a charity of your choice in honor of Teresa. 

 

Arrangements are under the care of Boyd Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 101 Elizabeth Street. Ashland City, TN 37015, Phone: 615-792-4677. Online condolences may be made by visiting boydfh.com