At Charlie Kirk’s memorial, what we learned from those who knew him best

Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in Glendale, Arizona, drew thousands of attendees and dozens of speakers who shared their memories of the slain activist.

Many of the sentiments — such as those about Kirk’s influence in the conservative movement — were well-known, while others were more personal.

The newly shared stories shed light on Kirk’s short 31-year life and how his closest friends, employees and family members remember him.

Here are some highlights from the service: 

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Love notes 

Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, revealed numerous personal details about their marriage.

One of them was a ritual that kept their marriage strong, despite Kirk’s constant travel.

“Someone once asked me how Charlie and I thought we kept our marriage so strong when he was busy traveling,” she said. “Our little secret: It was love notes. Every Saturday, Charlie wrote one for me, and he never missed a Saturday.”

“And in every single one of them, he’d tell me what his highlight was for the week, how grateful he was for me and our babies,” she added. “And always at the end, he would always end it with asking the most beautiful question … ‘Please let me know how I can better serve you as a husband.'”

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She also spoke about her husband’s love of journaling and his strong belief in mobilizing the conservative student movement.

“There was nothing that was too hard or too painful or nothing that he just felt like he didn’t want to do,” she said. 

“Charlie died with incomplete work, but not with unfinished business. And I will miss him. I will miss him so much. Because our marriage and our family were beautiful.”

Daily Bible quote texts and hunting trips

Sergio Gor, director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, shared how Kirk impacted his life through his Christian faith.

“The world of politics can be full of transactional people. Charlie wasn’t one of them,” Gor said. “He was the polar opposite.”

“One of the things I will miss the most is receiving a text every morning from Charlie with a daily Bible verse. Charlie would help set the tone of the day for so many of us.”

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Gor was friends with Kirk for more than a decade, and the two traveled the world from Louisiana to Greenland.

“Over a decade, we created countless memories, from hunting alligators in Louisiana to eating seal in Greenland to countless nights on the patio at Mar-a-Lago as President Trump played ‘Phantom of the Opera,'” he said. 

“When President Trump started talking about the importance of Greenland to our national security, Charlie was one of the first people who thought it would be a great idea to visit. He was also one of the first to fall in the snow upon arrival, but without a beat, Charlie got up and continued onward with a smile.”

Kirk’s quiet generosity extended beyond politics

Stacy Sheridan, Turning Point’s senior advancement director, shared how Kirk quietly helped her husband while he was dying of cancer.

“Charlie called me consistently to ask how he could help us,” Sheridan recalled. “At one point, he had critical medication and an oxygen machine sent to my doorstep without my knowledge. I still to this day, have no idea how he made that happen. But that was Charlie. He did the right thing.”

Sheridan also revealed how she struggled with work during that time, and that Kirk would console her.

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“Sometimes I would express guilt to Charlie that I couldn’t do my job at 100%. Charlie’s response every single time was, ‘Family first.’ When Mike ultimately passed away, Charlie and the entire team were there for us yet again.”

Sheridan also spoke about how Kirk supported her after she lost her home in the Pacific Palisades fire earlier in 2025. 

“Charlie’s response was very clear and very direct, ‘This is a sign you and Grace belong in Arizona.’ Within a few months, we moved here in Charlie and Erica welcomed us into their family.”

Podcasting became Kirk’s daily ritual

Andrew Kolvet, a spokesman for Turning Point USA, shared how much Kirk loved podcasting, even with his busy schedule.

Kolvet, an executive producer on the show, noted that Kirk loved sharing his thoughts and hearing from the audience.

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“It was his one constant amid never-ending change, even when he was on the road, even when he was overseas, or even during AmFest or our conferences, we did the show,” Kolvet said.

“But mostly it worked because Charlie loved you, the audience,” he said. “He read every single email you all sent to him. That’s why he said every single day, ‘Send us an email at [email protected]. Send us your thoughts.’”

Kirk opened doors for future leaders

At the memorial, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said that “there would be no Congresswoman Luna without Charlie Kirk.”

The Florida representative detailed her experience working with Kirk at Turning Point USA as an outreach director.

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“I still remember the phone call that changed my life,” Luna said. “‘Hey, Anna, it’s Charlie. I’d like to offer you a job as Texas National Hispanic Outreach director.'”

“Charlie believed with every fiber of his being, that the youth of this nation would save it,” she continued. “These were the sparks that lit the path for me on the eve of my departure to medical school, to decide to change course and join TPUSA, where I could help Charlie battle the socialist indoctrination on college campuses.”

Witness to Kirk’s final moments

Frank Turek, a Christian apologist and mentor to Kirk, was with him on the day of his assassination and helped rush him to the hospital.

Turek previously opened up about his experience witnessing Kirk die, and he shared additional details about how he helped carry Kirk to a car and transported him to the nearest hospital.

“I was doing a lot of yelling,” he said. “And I want you to know that we did everything we could to save Charlie. But Charlie was already gone.”

“His face was looking at mine, but he wasn’t looking at me. He was looking past me right into eternity. And if it’s any comfort at all, I learned later that Charlie felt no pain. He died instantly.”