Obituary for Curtis Durell Kelly Jr. The oldest child of Curtis Durell Kelly and Ruby Forest Langston Kelly, Curtis D. Kelly, Jr. was born in Ft. Smith, Arkansas on 5 May 1931. He soon had a sister, Rita Flo (deceased in 2014) and in 1938, a brother, Gary L. Kelly, who lives in Connecticut with his wife Joan.
They are parents of Greg, living in California and Susan, in Pennsylvania. Curtis grew up primarily in Houston where he attended the Robert E. Lee High School except for a one-year experience in a military academy. During these years, he ran track and learned to enjoy golf.
After high school graduation in 1949, he entered the U.S. Navy and was trained to serve in the naval air force. He was stationed in Japan, and flew crew for surveillance/reconnaissance missions on the Korean borders. Upon his return, he enrolled in the University of Texas at Austin and graduated in May of 1958 with a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering.
He worked for several oil companies and in many different fields in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. While in the Midland-Odessa area, he met and married Betty Lou Spears (1959), who was also from the Ft. Smith, AK.
area. They were blessed with three children: Curtis Durell Kelly, III, Timothy Scott Kelly, and Linda Lou Kelly whom the proud father began to call “Peach” because of her beautiful skin and coloring. Raising these three became his passion and delight; however, he expressed regret at being away from home so often he discovered another passion – working on off-shore drilling rigs out of Venus, southern Louisiana.
The Kellys established their home in Houston where all three children attended the church-school of Pilgrim Lutheran Church in the Bel Aire district. Late, Curt III, graduated from Concordia University in Austin and immediately married Karen Westbank, a graduate of the University of Texas. They made Curtis grandfather of Katelyn (now Mrs. Justin Malone and mother of Molly, Miles, Mason and Max), Jacob, and Sean (father of Kodi), all of whom now live in the Ft.
Worth area. Timothy graduated from Texas State University in San Marcos where he met and married Sherry Oubre. This couple presented Curtis with Scott (now living his grandfather’s dreams of a career in professional golf) and Danielle.
“Peach” has become a successful business woman and mother of Jessica – also a Concordia graduate, and Daniel – an honors graduate of the University of Houston who is an architect working in Washington, D.C. Curtis left rigs and oil field work in the 1990s to care for his wife whose health was failing and who was an invalid for nearly twelve years. He did work part-time as an independent consultant and was especially happy to work for oilman Bud Adams, prominent entrepreneur, collector of western art, and owner of the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans). Curtis retired in August, 2014.
After Betty Lou’s death in 2012, Curtis met again a childhood acquaintance, MariLyn Hale Beaney, a widow and strong OU Sooner supporter. They enjoyed a whirlwind, fun courtship filled with lots of roses, wester (and other) movies, theater presentations, and humorous teasing. Under the influence of sons Curt Kelly III and Paul Beaney, Curtis and MariLyn moved to Mansfield in 2014, joined St. John Lutheran Church and have greatly enjoyed integrating into the church’s family.
Their only marital conflicts have arisen when the University of Texas has met the University of Oklahoma in football! To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Curtis Durell Kelly Jr. please visit our Sympathy Store. Upcoming Events Celebration of Life , NOV 11.
3:00 PM St John Lutheran Church 1218 E. Debbie Lane Mansfield, TX, US, 76063 Order Flowers for the Celebration of Life Hand delivery before Curtis’ Celebration of Life begins.
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