OVID, MI - Howard Kirby is grateful for all the good things that happened to him in 2020 after he returned $43,000 he found tucked inside a secondhand couch he bought. But the Ovid man says his gratitude is mixed with sorrow after a difficult year for him.
Kirby gained some fame in January when he returned the money to a family who had donated their relative’s furniture to a Habitat for Humanity store, not realizing the fortune inside. Kirby said he opted to do the right thing despite his own home needing a new roof and flooring.
Kirby’s story made international headlines as a symbol of honesty and kindness. In response, some decided to give some kindness back to Kirby. Thanks to money, labor and materials donated by strangers, Kirby got his new roof and new flooring. His house still needs some work in some places, he said, but the donations took care of anything pressing.
“I’ve been blessed tremendously because of it,” Kirby said. “I have my valleys though, for sure. The people that came out and helped me and everything, it really helped me to realize there’s still good people out there.”
More than $15,000 raised in a GoFundMe campaign to support Kirby is tied up in Canada because of pandemic restrictions, though the fundraiser’s founder, who lives in Ontario, plans to drive it down to Kirby as soon as possible, he said. That money will likely be enough to finish paying off Kirby’s Ovid home, where he now lives alone with a few cats. He spoke to MLive/The Saginaw News in December from the secondhand couch in his basement, the cushion that once held the cash resting across the room.
“It really reestablished my feelings toward mankind itself,” Kirby said of the wave of kindness he experienced. “The world, there’s so many good people out there, whatever they believe in. There’s a lot of bad people, and the evil in the world shows up and we remember the evil a lot more than (when) anything that’s good happens, but I’m happy that I done did encouraged so many people... it makes me feel good because I was able to put out there, how I believe in Christ, and that’s what Jesus would do.”
Kirby’s son, Ben, has gotten back on his feet, and Ben’s wife Diane, who first found the money in Kirby’s couch cushion, were living with him at the time while out of work. Despite losing two months of work to the pandemic, they were able to save up enough from Ben’s new job to put a down payment on a house nearby, Kirby said.
“I’m very proud of my son,” Kirby said. “I’ve had a lot of hard times this year because of death and everything... I’m still looking at the green side of the grass. I’ve got a new grandbaby and kids that love me so much. I’m more than happy.”
Kirby was blessed with his 11th grandchild this month, a baby girl, he said. But he’s also lost family as well: He’s openly emotional when discussing the deaths of three of his siblings in the past year. In January, he spoke of losing a close cousin and a rough divorce in recent memory. He had a kidney removed and a cancer scare. In spite of all these hardships, Kirby will tell you that he’s blessed beyond belief. The kindness he’s seen keeps him focused and helps him get through the hard parts.
“I’ve been blessed,” Kirby said. “There’s been a lot of things that happened that I wish never did, but then, that’s a part of life. I don’t get discouraged, and when I do, I look back at what happened at that time. I never expected any of this to happen... It’s been a difficult and a wonderful year.”
Nearly a year after his deed, Kirby has a renewed focus on helping others. After one of his sisters died this year, he felt called to take over her outreach mission and help move donated goods to those in need. Right now he’s working on getting up to speed with running the nonprofit and spending time with his family, many of whom live no further away than Owosso.
“I’ve got a roof over my head, I got food, I got clothing, I got a loving family, I am just blessed,” Kirby said. “I get lonely here every so often now that my son and daughter’s gone, but if I really get too bad I can just walk down there or walk down to my daughter’s... Like the old movie, it’s a wonderful life.”
Read more:
Michigan man who returned $43K he found in thrift store couch gets outpouring of support
What personalized shoutouts from Michigan celebs like Ted Nugent, Calvin Johnson cost you on Cameo
Michigan Senate approves creation of committee to suspend public health orders between sessions