Bruce Edward O’Kelley, a Cushing resident, passed away on Friday, June 12, 2009 in the Hillcrest Select Specialty Hospital in Tulsa at the age of 81 years.
Memorial services have been entrusted to the Palmer Marler Funeral Home in Cushing and will be held at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, June 18, 2009 in the Palmer Marler Funeral Home Chapel.
He was born on November 16, 1927 at Rose Hill east of Cushing, OK. He is survived by his wife Jerry of the home in Cushing; daughter Shelley Dawn O’Kelley of Rosamond, CA; son Timothy Shane O’Kelley and his wife Debbie and grandson T.J. of Jacksonville, FL; granddaughter Cory O’Kelley of California; two brothers and their families, James B. (Jimmy) O’Kelley and his wife Helene of Cushing and Lonnie Lee O’Kelley and his wife Darlene of Fairbanks, Alaska; one sister Doris Ann Conn of Enid, OK; ex-sister-in-law Mildred O’Kelley of Fairbanks, Alaska; numerous nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.
Bruce attended grade school at Schlegel and high school at Yale.
During WW II he served in the U.S. Navy Amphibious Force from 1945 to 1947 in the Pacific and from 1949 to 1952 he served in the Aviation Section of 8th Army where he was stationed during the Korean War.
He worked for Rockwell International for more that 26 years. During his time with Rockwell, he was a team member of the Rockwell/NASA Apollo Program that put the first man on the Moon. He also worked on the X15, B70 and B1 Programs for Rockwell/USAF. He retried in 1987 and moved back to Cushing in 1992.
Bruce was preceded in death by one son, Daniel Bruce O’Kelley; parents, Otto M. and Annabelle V. (Linch) O’Kelley; one brother, Wayne O’Kelley; grandparents Ben F. and Maude (Beard) O’Kelley and Jim and Ethel Linch plus various aunts, uncles, and cousins on both sides of the family.
Condolences and an online guestbook are available at www.palmermarlerfh.com.
