Many in Pella have spent the last few days mourning the loss of the youngest member of one of the most admired families in the community.

Kirk Korver, 27, died after a brief illness Tuesday. He was a 2009 graduate of Pella High School and the youngest of four brothers who all shined on the basketball court as a member of the Little Dutch and in college.

But the man listed as Kirk’s favorite teacher in his senior yearbook and current Dean of Students Wade Van Vark remembers Kirk meant so much more to his classmates and everyone at Pella High School than his on-the-court accomplishments.

“The biggest thing I remember is his smile,” Van Vark recalls. “Having him as a student, it was such a blessing when he came into the room because he was just always positive, always had that smile on his face, and just everyone around him was lifted up because of it.”

Pella High School Principal Eric Nelson says losing Kirk was a huge blow to the community, as the Korvers have given so much care and thought to so many in Pella.

“They are Pella, they have a tremendous impact on our community,” Nelson says. “They represent what everybody in Pella is.”

Hear more about the memories of Kirk Korver on today’s Let’s Talk Pella. Funeral services will be held on Monday, March 26th at 10 a.m. at Third Reformed Church in Pella. Visitation is Sunday from 1:30 to 6 p.m. at the church, with family present from 3 to 6 that afternoon. Garden Chapel Funeral Home in Pella is handling the arrangements. Donations in his memory should be made to The Well Resource Center in Pella.