Charles Duke (Chuck) Kelley Lt. Col's Obituary
Charles Duke (Chuck) Kelley, Lt. Colonel, USAF (Retired) age 83, of Dallas, Texas died on July 28, 2022. Chuck was born in 1938 in Little Rock, Arkansas to Raymond and Henrietta (Phillips) Kelley. He was the eldest of 5 children and was predeceased by his sisters Phyllis (Treadway) and Jerry (Bingham). He is survived by his wife Jean, his brother, Bill (Sherry) of Gurdon, AR and sister, Judy Kelley Carson (Harold) of La Mesa, CA, and brother-in-law, Whitney Duplantis (Vickie) of Port Allen, LA.
Chuck graduated from Helix High School in La Mesa, CA and received his bachelor's degree from San Diego State University in 1962. Chuck was a member of Pi Sigma Alpha at San Diego State. He also held a master's degree from Boston University (MA) and Webster University (St. Louis, MO). He held an advanced degree of Ed.S. from Troy State University (AL) and was a graduate of the Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College and the Air War College (Maxwell AFB, AL). Chuck received numerous military and academic awards as well as awards for business leadership and professionalism. He enlisted in the California Army National Guard in 1956 and was commissioned as a 2d lieutenant in the US Air Force in Sep 1962. Chuck served all around the world, including stops in Japan, Germany, England, and various bases in the United States. Chuck was an avid traveler and he and his wife made several round-the-world journeys after retiring in August 2007. He volunteered at the Veterans Center of North Texas (VCONT), where he worked in support of our veterans and with Jean, worked to support the organization through grants and fundraising efforts.
Chuck married Jean Duplantis in Basel, Switzerland in May 1968. They met while Chuck served in the Air Force in Frankfurt, Germany and Jean worked as an Army civilian nurse at the US Army Hospital in Frankfurt. Jean and Chuck had two sons, Charles Jr. (Chip) of Dallas, TX, and Christopher (Chris). Chris and his wife Cynthia (Raines) have two sons, Cole and Cooper and live in Allen, TX.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Veterans Center of North Texas (VCONT)
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