Quick Facts
Biography
George Grier Kirkpatrick, Jr. (December 24, 1938 – February 5, 2003) served as the Senator from the Fifth District in the Florida Senate from 1980 until 2000.
He was born in Gainesville, Florida. During his tenure in the Florida Senate, Senator George G. Kirkpatrick, Jr., authored the Solid Waste Management Act of 1988, which established recycling programs statewide; sponsored the Sadowski Affordable Housing Act in order to make housing more accessible to low-income Floridians; sponsored the Preservation 2000 program to preserve sensitive state lands; was tireless in his efforts to preserve the Rodman Reservoir; and championed workforce development and economic development programs that have greatly benefited the workers of this state. Through his work in the Florida Legislature and as the Executive Director of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida, Senator Kirkpatrick also worked successfully to improve higher education throughout this state. His contributions to the State of Florida and the people of this state were numerous, and his legacy as a champion of children, a protector of the environment, and an advocate for higher education shall live on for years to come.
Senator George G. Kirkpatrick, Jr., died unexpectedly on February 5, 2003, in Tallahassee, and is survived by his wife, Monika, his children Catherine and Grier, and three grandchildren.