Irvy Lee Bacy Jr.

It is with a deep and abiding love tempered by sadness that we mourn the passing of our beloved son, brother, father and grandfather. Surrounded by his family, Irvy Lee Bacy, Jr. departed his earthly home to be with the Lord during the early morning of November 26, 2021.

Born at Edwards Hospital, Irvy Lee Bacy, Jr. entered the realm of “time” on May 5, 1951 in Oklahoma City, OK. He was the third of eight children and the first son born to his namesake--Irvy Bacy Sr., a radar technician pursuing an engineering degree at Langston University—and Eletta (Smith) Bacy, a homemaker.

Reared in a Christ-centered home, he accepted Christ as his savior at the tender age of five-years-old and was baptized by Pastor George Houston at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church. When his father organized New Bethel Baptist Church in 1962, Irvy was one of the charter members. He enjoyed singing with the youth choir, volunteering with the Royal Ambassadors, and upon returning from his service in Vietnam, he helped install new pews at the church. Irvy maintained his membership with New Bethel throughout his lifetime and when he was no longer able to attend church due to his health, continued to contribute to its worship and work through his tithes.

Irvy was four-years-old when his family moved from northeast sixth street and were among the first African Americans to integrate the Creston Hills neighborhood. He attended Creston Hills Elementary School, Moon and Kennedy Middle Schools, and Douglass High School (Class of 1969). He attended classes at Rose State College after he returned from the service.

Some of Irvy’s fondest memories of childhood included summers spent with his grandparents planting and tending a vegetable garden, raising chickens and rabbits, and making trips to Wynnewood to harvest pecans every November. He was an avid collector of baseball cards and Marvel comic-books. Throughout his life, he loved martial arts movies (especially ones starring Bruce Lee) and classic westerns. Raised to believe hard work is a virtue, Irvy’s first job was selling Black Dispatch newspapers door-to-door as a middle-schooler; while his second was delivering The Daily Oklahoman to subscribers every morning before school. During high school, he worked part-time at Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Inspired by the legacy of military service passed down by generations of his forebears (from Henry Bacy—a Buffalo Soldier to Nathaniel Patillo an infantryman during World War I to his father Irvy Bacy, Sr., who served in the China-Burma-India theatre during World War II), Irvy enlisted in the Army along with his best friend Frederick Fields in 1969. Commendations awarded to him for service to his country included the National Defense Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Air Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal, M16 Rifle Marksmanship Award. Irvy suffered for the rest of his life from the debilitating effects of his exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam and he was forever changed by the death of his friend, Frederick, who died in Binh Long province attempting to save the life of an officer being swept away by a current in the swollen Suoi Dau River.

After returning from military service, Irvy worked at Tinker Field. He was later employed by the City of Oklahoma City Environmental Services Division before moving briefly to St. Paul, Minnesota. After returning to Oklahoma City, he finally found his niche at the Oklahoma State Department of Transportation where he loved working as a draftsman. One of his proudest achievements was being named Employee of the Month. He was forced to retire early because of his health.

His first marriage was to Valetta Cousins and they were blessed with his only son, Irvy III. In 1980, he married Marie McElroy. Although that marriage ended in divorce, they maintained a loving friendship throughout his life. His daughter Ashli Dawn Moore was born in 1986.

Irvy loved to travel and was passionate about his truck. He also loved fishing and telling tales of fishing holes in the middle of nowhere. He and his brothers-in-law weren’t above hopping fences and traversing property lines in pursuit of bass and catfish. On one fateful afternoon, they stood frustrated for quite a while, perplexed about the fact that they weren’t getting any bites. They soon discovered they were fishing in a sewage lagoon.

Faith and family were the common threads and the constant themes woven throughout Irvy’s life story. He read his Bible every day—even when his hands were so swollen it required great effort to even turn the pages. He talked to his mother every morning and before bed every night, often ending their conversations with a hymn or Bible verse. In the final months of his life, Irvy’s motivation to live was the pending birth of his granddaughter Zohri. Irvy will be remembered as a loving father who showered attention and affection on his children and grandchildren, as the loving son who honored his parents in his youth and in their dying days, as the brother always available at the ready, as the uncle who enchanted his nieces and nephews with his magic tricks and his room of special treasures, and as the friend who sticks closer than a brother. Were he here today, he would admonish us gently, as he did throughout the duration of his illness to stop worrying about him and to take care of ourselves; and to hear his voice echoing: “Love Ya!”

Irvy was preceded in death by his father; his brother—Lee; and his beloved grandparents. He is survived by his children, Irvy III and Ashli; grandchildren Paris (Everardo III), Alexis, Christian, and Zohri; great-grandson Everardo IV, and ex-wife Marie. He is also survived by his siblings Bryn, Paula (Larry), Jerrell (Marlene), Iva (Larry), Dorian (Debra) and Kedric; his loving aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews and special friends Becki Moore, Kenneth Harrison, Matthew Berry, Terry French, Helen JoJo Greadington, Edwina Manous, and Darryl Rich.