Some moments in life arrive with a heaviness that words can hardly carry.

On Friday January 9th, GM Brad Shipp lost his grandmother, Linda Shipp. On January 13th, he lost his mother, Julia Kirby.

The closeness of these two losses has been devastating, and our hearts are with him and his family as they move through this season of grief.

In honoring their lives, GM Shipp shared that if anyone feels called to do so, he would be grateful for a donation in lieu of flowers.

For more than three decades, his grandparents, Gerald and Linda Shipp, and his mother, Julia Kirby, were closely connected to GM Shipp's training and the lifelong path he chose as a teacher and mentor, proud of the man he grew into and steady in their support along the way.

Their relationship with Supreme Grand Master Bok Man Kim grew from that same shared history with years of mutual respect, loyalty, and genuine connection. In one of the most meaningful reflections of that bond between them all, Julia Kirby was with Supreme Grand Master Kim in his final moments of life.

If you knew Linda or Julia, or if their story has touched your heart, your presence here already means more than you may realize.

Thank you for holding their memory with respect and love.

Linda Shipp and Julia Kirby Memorial Donation