article_snippet.sent: An entrepreneur and philanthropist who built a national chain of home decor stores and donated $100million has died at age 77.
article_snippet.sent: Robert Kirkland, who founded the home decor store that bears An entrepreneur and philanthropist who built a national chain of home decor stores and donated $100million  last name, died on Saturday morning in Union City, Tennessee, from complications stemming from kidney failure.
article_snippet.sent: Kirkland's expanded into a chain of more than 300 locations in 35 states.
article_snippet.sent: Kirkland son Chris said: 'His son Chris was a man who loved learning and was always curious about how things worked. '
article_snippet.sent: Kirkland, who founded the home decor stores with his cousin Carl in 1966, expanded the chain exponentially .
article_snippet.sent: Kirkland was born in Newberry, South Carolina, but Kirkland lived in Union City for much of Kirkland life.
article_snippet.sent: Kirkland grew up the son of retailers who owned and operated a Ben Franklin five and dime store.
article_snippet.sent: The Kirkland cousins also founded CBK Ltd, which shipped gift and home decor items to customers around the world from a distribution center in Union City, population 11,000.
article_snippet.sent: By the late 1990s, Kirkland and Kirkland wife Jenny had sold Robert Kirkland and his wife Jenny business holdings and began to concentrate on philanthropic efforts through the Robert E and Jenny D Kirkland Foundation.
highlights_snippet.sent: Kirkland and cousin Carl Kirkland founded Kirkland's home decor stores in 1966 .
  
highlights_snippet.sent: He and cousin Carl Kirkland expanded stores into chain with more than 300 locations in 35 states .
  