Jack Randolph O’Kelley, age 89, of Bartlett, Tennessee passed away peacefully Tuesday, October 15, 2019 at Hearthside Assisted Living. Jack was born June 4, 1930 in Carroll County, Mississippi and raised in Holmes County near Lexington, Mississippi. Jack joined the United States Navy in 1950 and served 4 years at the Naval Air Station in Norfolk, Virginia. After an honorable discharge, he was employed in civil service as an Education Specialist at the Naval Air Technical Training Center at Millington, Tennessee until his retirement in 1990. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from the University of Memphis. He was married to his college sweetheart, Joan Pannell of New Albany, Mississippi for 65 years. Jack and Joan raised their family and served faithfully at Bartlett Baptist Church for many years. A faithful follower of Christ and a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, Jack was preceded in death by Joan, as well as his parents and brother, John William O’Kelley. Jack is survived by his daughter, Jan O’Kelley (Bernard) Sparks of Bartlett, Tennessee and his son, Dr. Kenneth (Dana) O’Kelley of Knoxville, Tennessee. Other family include his grandchildren Bob (Joanna) Sparks of Jackson, Tennessee, Katie O’Kelley (Vasily) Lantukh of Atlanta, Georgia, and Claire O’Kelley (Carson) McWhorter of Knoxville, Tennessee along with great grandchildren Betsie, Judah, and Thomas Jack Sparks of Jackson, Tennessee and Zoe Lantukh of Atlanta, Georgia. The family requests that memorials be sent to Bartlett Baptist Church. The family will receive friends Friday, October 25, 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens, 3700 North Germantown Parkway and Saturday, October 26, 12:30 to 2:00 PM at Bartlett Baptist Church, 3465 Kirby Whitten Parkway. The Funeral Service will be October 26, at 2:00 PM at the church. Interment will follow at Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens, 3700 North Germantown Parkway, Bartlett, Tennessee.
