EUGENE, Ore.-The Oregon Ducks baseball team will step onto a field named for one of Heppner’s own on May 9.
The University of Oregon’s baseball field at PK Park, which seats 4,000, about four times the population of Heppner, is officially being named Bob Kilkenny Field.
Kilkenny, a lifelong Heppner resident, farmer, sports booster, advocate for education and community, and proud supporter of the University of Oregon, who helped revive the dormant Ducks’ baseball program, passed away in 2016 at the age of 86.
“Heppner’s values of hard work, community, faith and integrity have shaped our family’s legacy,” said Bob’s daughter, Kelly Kilkenny Hale.
The Origins of a Legacy
Kilkenny’s emphasis on the importance of education was instilled in him by his father, John Sheridan Kilkenny, who emigrated from County Leitrim, Ireland, to the Heppner area in 1890 at the age of twenty.
Though he possessed little formal education, John Sheridan Kilkenny became a successful sheep rancher and insisted that his children attend college.
Six of his eight children would go to college, however, Bob and his sister Colleen were unable to attend due to financial constraints, according to Bob’s son, Russell Kilkenny.
After attending the University of Oregon for a time, Bob returned to Heppner to farm and raise his family.
Bob’s children helped on the family wheat farm as teenagers and the work, including 15-hour days during the summer wheat harvest under scorching Eastern Oregon temperatures, instilled in them the value of education.
“Dad would always grin and tell us we should be thankful for the experience we were accumulating,” recounted Russ. “Then he would point out that we controlled our futures, that college offered us the opportunity for a different path.”
All five of Bob Kilkenny’s children, Russell, Patrick, Kelly, John and Kevin would eventually attend the University of Oregon.
“We had a modest farm which couldn’t substantiate a living for his children to return home,” said Kilkenny Hale. “We were expected to go to college.”
Farmer, advocate and pillar of the Heppner Community
Much like his belief in the value of education, Bob Kilkenny’s penchant for community involvement also came from his father who was a director and officer of First National Bank of Heppner, and served as director and chairman of the board of the Alpine Public School District.
Kilkenny’s interest in the welfare of children and young people in the Heppner community was influenced by his involvement with his own children playing sports growing up, including traveling around the region for activities and events.
When he noticed that some kids in Heppner couldn’t always participate due to financial constraints or that others went without adequate winter clothing, Kilkenny addressed the problem.
“When he retired and was able to economically, he and his wife Eva would often go to Hermiston or Pendleton to buy clothing for school children,” said Russ. “Dad would give these items to school officials for distribution.”
Kilkenny did this with the request that he and his wife receive no recognition for the good deeds, another lesson that was not lost on his children.
“Above all else Dad was modest, he would often pass that message on to his children when we got too ‘full of ourselves,’” recounted Russ.
According to his children, Kilkenny’s active participation in the Catholic Church also contributed to his community involvement, as did the often solitary nature of farming, which lent itself to an appreciation of the times spent with family, friends and neighbors.
Bringing baseball back
The University of Oregon discontinued baseball due to budget reductions in 1981, however, as a longtime athletic supporter, Kilkenny was ready to help the Ducks resurrect the program by the mid-2000’s.
“Dad was all about action, reminding us that real impact comes from showing up and putting in the work,” said Kilkenny Hale. “He was one of the hardest workers you’d ever meet, never afraid to get his hands dirty.”
In 2008, Kilkenny did just that, getting on an excavator to break ground on what would become PK Park, and ultimately result in the Ducks returning to the baseball diamond for the 2009 season after an almost 30-year absence.
In 2016 Kilkenny made his last trip to PK Park, throwing out the first pitch less than a month before his death.
Bob Kilkenny Field
Now in recognition of his contributions and the support of the Kilkenny family, Bob’s legacy will continue, as the field at PK Park is officially named Bob Kilkenny Field.
“The naming of the baseball field after Dad honors all of his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren,” said Russ. “When we were youngsters, we occupied a parent/child relationship with Dad. When we became adults, Dad became one of our best friends. We admired the qualities of honesty, loyalty, humor, and modesty that he quietly exhibited.”
According to the University of Oregon, a new logo, one that reads “Bob Kilkenny Field” over a diamond with five blades of wheat, one for each of the Kilkenny children who attended Oregon, will now adorn the outfield wall and be displayed prominently behind home plate at the stadium.
“Our program would not be here without Bob, Russ, Pat, Kelly, John and Kevin,” said Mark Wasikowski, Oregon’s Head Baseball Coach in an Oregon Baseball new release. “We are thrilled to recognize the Kilkenny family.”
The Bob Kilkenny Field logo will also be on each base at PK Park, and the Ducks plan to wear the logo on their batting helmets during a weekend series against the University of Washington, starting May 9.
According to Kilkenny’s children, quitting was never an option, and the determination to always finish what you started that defined their father also helped shape their values and work ethic.
“He taught us that giving back isn’t just about writing a check-it’s about rolling up our sleeves, getting involved and making a difference,” said Kilkenny Hale.
From Heppner to Eugene, the Kilkenny legacy, one of faith, family, community, education and athletics, will endure through his family, and will be on full display every time the Ducks play at Bob Kilkenny Field.
“We are proud that he finally made it to college and the University of Oregon will honor his name,” said Russ.
Oregon is currently ranked fifth in Division I baseball with an overall record of 35-13.
