AUBURN, CALIFORNIA = Days after Auburn, California William Kirby likened all voters of President Donald J. Trump to Ku Klux Klan members, he died in a plane crash. Kirby’s last public function was a boisterous rant before the Auburn city council defending his Facebook post.
“Facebook is not a city site. It’s a personal site,” Kirby told the public. “This has nothing to do with my job. I re-posted it. I think Trump is a racist, absolutely.”
He was asked to surrender his gavel immediately, but he refused.
“As I stated publicly when I was sworn in as mayor, it was always my intention to step down and nominate Councilmember Berlant so that he also has the opportunity to serve as mayor,” Kirby added. “So at the next city council meeting on April 27, I will nominate Councilmember Berlant to serve as mayor for the rest of the year.”
Kirby’s plane crashed at the Auburn airport on Saturday, April 18, 2020. One person survived the crash. He was dead.
Political consultant Jeff Raimundo broke the news:
Our beloved father and grandfather, Dr. William Kirby, the Mayor of Auburn, has been tentatively identified as the person killed in the plane that crashed near the Auburn Airport this morning about 10:30 a.m. Another person in the plane survived the crash. Unfortunately, we do not yet have many other details or answers.
Our family is devastated by this tragic news. Bill devoted decades of enthusiastic and loving support to his family, his patients and the Auburn community he loved so much. We will miss him immensely but take comfort in knowing he died while flying – one of the other loves of his life.
In addition to his years on the City Council, Bill Kirby served as Auburn Little League President, a Director of the Auburn Area Recreation & Parks District, a urologist in Auburn and Woodland, Chief of Medical Staff at Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital and a Rotarian. He was inducted into the Placer High School Athletics Hall of Fame as team physician for more than three decades, and was a passionate advocate of the Auburn art community, a pilot and a physician with “Flying Doctors.”
He is survived by his son James Kirby, his daughter Sarah Kirby-Gonzalez, son-in-law Adam Gonzalez, and grandchildren Addison and Chloe Gonzalez. He loved his family, especially his two granddaughters. He poured his passion into life and the world is a better place because of him.