Arleigh “Lee” Keeney, 92, joined his Heavenly Father on March 7th, 2017 in Grapevine, Texas. Lee started his remarkable life on May 29th, 1924, on a wheat farm in northern Idaho. He played football for Troy High School, and after graduation worked as a welder in the Tacoma shipyards. Lee enlisted in the Army after the start of WWII and trained in England for the invasion of Europe. He landed on Utah Beach on D-Day as a Combat Engineer attached to the 4th Infantry Division. He fought in the Battle of Normandy, the Liberation of Paris, the Battle of the Bulge, and the Rhine Bridge Crossings, where he was seriously wounded. After the war, Lee helped revive a German town which was on the brink of starvation. Upon his discharge, he worked as a welder on the Grand Coulee Dam, where he met and married the love of his life, Roberta (Bobbie) Day. In 1950, with his third child on the way, Lee was recalled to service at the start of the Korean War. He then worked in the construction of the Defense Early Warning System in Labrador and Greenland. Lee and Bobbie and their four children moved frequently in the U.S. and Germany, with the last move settling them in Fort Hood/Killeen, Texas. In 1967, Sergeant Major Keeney was sent to Nha Trang, Republic of Vietnam, where he was cited for heroism in getting critical supplies to allied soldiers. After 26 years of service, Lee retired from the Army as Sergeant Major, III Corps and Fort Hood. His many decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters and the Bronze Star. His passion for teaching inspired him to graduate from Mary Hardin Baylor University with an honors degree in History. He taught High School and managed the Killeen School District Bus System until his final retirement in 1992. Lee and Bobbie then continued their lives of travel, adventure and volunteerism. They were leaders in the Killeen Kickers Square Dance Club and the Texas Square and Round Dance Association; later in “Camping Squares.” Deeply religious, Lee and Bobbie served in many capacities as members of Immanuel Lutheran Church. Their 50th wedding anniversary party was attended by well wishers from the many community organizations they helped nurture. The City of Killeen honored Lee twice with a “Lee Keeney Day.” After Bobbie’s passing in 1998, Lee continued traveling with his friend Dorothy Folz and left footprints on all seven continents. At the age of 88, his wanderlust was slowed by Alzheimer’s disease. To his four children and his many grandchildren and great grandkids, Lee was an endless source of example, support and inspiration. He was exceptional in his generosity of spirit, Christianity in action, and charity of gift and deed. He gave much to his country, community and family and asked little in return. He will be deeply missed but long kept in the hearts of those who knew him.
He was preceded in passing by his loving wife of 51 years, Roberta Keeney, his parents William and Frances, and his brother Merle.
Arleigh is survived by his children: Linda Floy and her husband Tim; Robert Keeney and his wife Barbara; David Keeney and his wife Rosalind; Kathryn McPherson and her husband Tim. Lee’s grandchildren are Michael Koenning and his wife Lyn; Kim Carroll and her husband Bruce; Nathan Floy; Katie Wiseman and her husband Mark; Bryan Keeney; William Keeney Jr.; Rebecca Keeney; Olivia Keeney; Sean Keeney and his wife Lori; Lynn Reynolds; Mark Haynes; Tess Allan and her husband Paul; Shawn McPherson and his wife Joanna. Lee has 24 great grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers; the family kindly asks that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org; or to: Immanuel Lutheran Church Building Fund, 3801 Cunningham Rd., Killeen, TX. 76542. We have profound gratitude for the caregivers at Meadowood Memory Care, Grapevine; and Ardent Hospice, Flower Mound, for making his last days comfortable.
Visitation will be 6:00 to 8:00 PM Sunday, March 12, 2017, at Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home in Killeen. Additional visitation and refreshments will be 11:30 Monday, March 13, 2017 at the Immanuel Lutheran Church, 3801 Cunningham Rd., Killeen, Texas with services following at 1:00PM. Burial will follow at the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Killeen with full military honors.
Arrangements under the direction of Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home, Killeen, TX.
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