December 12, 1939 - September 23, 2023

We have lost our love and legend, whose early fame with The Association is well documented.  You can find Terry’s show business obituaries in the LATimes.com, the NYTimes.com, the WashingtonPost.com, RollingStone.com, and DailyVariety.com. You can also find a 5- hour interview with Terry and Jules Alexander, on a podcast called ’Discograffiti’ on the Patreon platform. It was recorded in early 2023.

Less well known were a stint as a Motown executive, a writer on ‘Name That Tune’ and an advertising copywriter.  Then in 1984, Terry faced the challenge of his life: inventing a way to support himself, clean and sober, away from the stage and 'the road’. Like so many others, Terry devoted countless hours to addicts and alcoholics like himself. By 1993, he had graduated from UCLA Extension’s Chemical Dependency Counseling program.

Terry earned his California Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselor (CADAAC-III) certification, holding positions at Los Angeles treatment centers like A Touch of Care, Hollywood Community Hospital, The Kiriyakos Institute, and Omni Treatment Center of Santa Monica. For years he facilitated pro bono education and process groups at Felicity House in Culver City, Genesis House Sober Living, Pasadena Recovery Center, and Michael’s House in Palm Springs.

In 1992, Terry married story analyst and researcher Heidi Berinstein, with whom he shared the love of music and the arts, show business and recovery for 36 years. In subsequent years Terry did return to performing with The Association for award shows and reunions. In a fitting turn of events, he later served as the clinical director of The Musician’s Assistance Program in Hollywood,  intervening on behalf of musicians so that the road and drugs and alcohol didn't snuff out their lives as it nearly did Terry's.  Later he opened the Artists in Recovery (A.I.R.) counseling practice.  For clients and colleagues both, Terry was a gifted clinician whose past as founding member of The Association only enriched his professional acumen.

Having been opened in the spiritual practice in the 1960s, Terry was Los Angeles chairman of the Subud spiritual center from 2004-2005. He notably spent a couple of seasons singing with Sue Fink’s Angel City Chorale, and also founded ‘The Full Measures’ 12-Step choir to perform at recovery meetings during the holidays.  A true Beat poet, Terry did readings with Eve Brandstein's Poetry in Motion collective at Beyond Baroque in Venice as well as with Susan Hayden's Library Girl.  He was 38 years sober when he passed, a proud member of the loving Claremont 12-Step community, an alumnus of Hollywood’s Architects of Adversity. 

In addition to his wife Heidi Berinstein Kirkman, Terry is survived by his first wife Judith of Pinole, CA; their beloved daughter, Alixandra ‘Sasha’ Kirkman Swain; son-in-law Mathew Swain, and grand-twins Liliana Swain and Jasper Swain, all of El Cerrito, CA.; nephews Ben Jasso of Roseville, CA.; Jeffrey Kirkman (Liz) of Sultan, WA; Stephen Kirkman (Shirley) of Sunland, CA; Timothy Kirkman (Nadia) of Witchita, KS; Russell Kirkman of San Antonio, TX; grandnephew Spencer Kirkman of San Francisco, CA.; grandniece Stephanie Kirkman (Khalil) of Escondido, CA; and brother-in-law Todd Berinstein M.D. He was predeceased by brother Richard Kirkman and nephew Greg Kirkman.

He was in his 60s when Terry located and began a loving relationship with biological daughter Karen Seryato Romano of El Cajon, CA. Her husband Charles and their daughters Hannah Romano of Denver and Emily Gallagher (Christian) of Portland, OR., survive him as well.

Terry regretted missing his Chino High Class of '57 lunch at Centro Bosco this summer. He treasured his Association fans and friends from The Association Facebook page, and he loved being interviewed about the role the group played in the development of folk rock in the 1960s. Thanks go to the incredible professionals at Calstro Hospice who cared for Terry from July to September, 2023. The family would like to thank the Kirkman-Swain clan, the Grammy Foundation’s MusiCares and Harold Owens, Hoa Nguyen and Virgil Seaman, Bruce Davidson and Quang Nguyen, and Todd Berinstein for their support.

A Celebration of Terry’s life is pending; check back for updates on this website.  Donations in Terry's name can be made to the non-profit  literary arts foundation Beyond Baroque, Venice, CA.

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