Wanda Renee Kirkland
(née Hicks) brought a vibrant, unapologetic joy to the world from the very moment she entered it. Born in Aldrich, Alabama, in the house at the Old Camp in Montevallo to Betty Hampton and Roosevelt Hicks, Wanda made a dramatic debut. Arriving as a “blue baby” with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck, she required a bit of rubbing and patting from the doctors before she finally let out a cry—a fittingly stubborn start for a woman who would go on to live a remarkably spirited life.
While deeply grounded in her faith, Wanda never took herself too seriously. She possessed a radiant smile and a borderline mischievous sense of humor that kept everyone on their toes. She loved to laugh, and she used that laughter to bring warmth to every room she entered.
Her childhood spanned the country. She spent her early years in Compton before moving to San Bernardino during high school, with a memorable year spent in Brooklyn, New York, in between. While in Brooklyn, she attended PS9 and played backyard baseball at her grandfather Sam’s home. It was there that she helped him prepare his sermons, quiet moments that profoundly connected her to her faith.
Though she briefly dabbled in soccer and softball, Wanda was proudly more of a bookworm. A sharp student, her high academic marks earned her a spot at an IBM Computer Camp. She played the clarinet in the school band, which sparked a lifelong love of music—a passion that carried into adulthood with her enduring appreciation for Michael and Janet Jackson, Teena Marie, and gospel music. Wanda graduated from San Gorgonio High School in 1987 and went on to earn an Associate’s Degree from San Bernardino Valley College.
Professionally, Wanda was a dedicated and compassionate worker. She worked with special needs children in the LA Unified School District, spent several years at JCPenney, and dedicated 19 years to Lineage Logistics, passing just two months shy of her 20-year milestone with the company.
Above all, Wanda loved her family fiercely. She was the ultimate bedrock of support for her loved ones, a devotion most clearly evidenced by the three decades she spent as the primary caregiver for her mother, Betty. The two shared a wonderful bond and loved traveling together, sharing a particular fondness for the bright lights and lively atmosphere of Circus Circus. She thoroughly adored her nieces and nephews, leaving them with countless memories of her quick wit and joyful presence.
Wanda was preceded in death by her mother, Betty, and her brothers, Daryl and Kerry. Her legacy lives on in her surviving brothers, Jeffery and Rodney, and her numerous beloved nieces and nephews, who will forever carry the echo of her laughter.