Albert Bruce Kelly

Albert Bruce Kelly
Born: October 7, 1926 in Huckeby, Texas
Hometown: Hamilton, Texas
Nicknames: Bruce, Kelly, “THUG”, GPa Swag
Died: May 7, 2016
Wife: Marjorie Demarie (Margie), married February 17, 1951 in Texarkana, Arkansas. They met while he was on assignment in Shreveport, Louisiana. Margie passed in February, 2009.
Albert was a devout family man, generous and kind. He raised five children and was a proud grandpa to 14 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. He comes from a family of nine -- three brothers and five sisters. He was a gifted storyteller often recounting his rich life’s experiences as a three-war military veteran.
Albert was drafted out of high school by the U.S. Navy in 1945 and served aboard the aircraft carrier, USS Antietam, and was in Tokyo Bay during the signing of the Japanese surrender.
After WWII, he returned to Texas and shortly after entered the Army Air Corps in 1946 (later named U.S. Air Force) where he became a crew chief for the B-29 bomber. As the role of the B-29 changed to refueling operations, Albert became a refueling specialist (boom operator) for the KB-29 and soon after the KB-50. He served as a refueling instructor and a standardization and evaluation crew member for the KC-97 and later the KC-135. He retired in August, 1969 as a Master Sergeant having served his country for 26 years. His years of service saw action in World War II, the Korean War and the war in Vietnam.
Upon retirement from the Air Force, he chose Irving, Texas as his residence eventually finding a job with the city of Dallas as a lead mechanic and administrator. In 1981, he and Margie downsized their home and became full-time RVers. Traveling back and forth across the southwest to spend time with family, they eventually landed in Gunnison, Colorado where he worked many years with his brother, Cecil, as a tow truck driver and mechanic at his service station. Al and Margie returned to Texas in the early 90s with time in Marble Falls, Kyle and finally Ft. Worth in 2007.
Children: Ricky, Karen, Robert, Kenneth and Kathy
Grandchildren: Melissa, Nicholas, Ryan, Connor, Thomas, Mark, Sheila, Alyssa, Victoria, Aaron, Hannah, Felipe, Karyssa, Kiara
Great Grandchildren: Oakley, Scotty, Nicholas, Tatum, Brianne, Zykta, Levi, Kailyn, Amari
Parents: Neil and Cloyse
Siblings: Nena, Cecil, Addie, Mary Lois, Robert, Myrtle, Harrol, Carrol
Hobbies: Reading westerns; playing dominos; doing puzzles; watching the Dallas Cowboys and baseball; collecting eagles, pencil sharpeners and cups;