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Kenley Ray Williams, 81 of Lake Tenkiller and Sallisaw passed away on Friday July 29th in Tulsa Oklahoma from complications relating to his decades-long battle with prostate cancer.
Kenley was born May 25, 1930 in Vonore, Tennessee the son of US Forestry Service employee Barney Williams and Dena Mae Bivens Williams. At 16 he joined the Regular US Army and received the World War II Victory Medal for overseas service. After the war, he moved to Detroit where he worked in the automobile industry. On June 9, 1953 he married the love of his life Ferna Sue White of Anadarko, Oklahoma. Williams founded his career in engineering by joining the Oklahoma State Highway Department (ODOT) in 1956 where he later served as Junior through Resident Engineer for 24 years. After retirement, he entered private practice as a Professional Engineer for several successful civil engineering & planning firms culminating as the Managing Director for Walter P. Moore in Tulsa. The pinnacle of Kenley’s career occurred in December 2010 when his Wildhorse Mountain Highway design project was selected as the nationally-coveted ACPA Gold Winner in the State Roads category.
Above all, Kenley loved his family. His career brought him friendships that survive to this day. He was a 32nd Degree Mason, avid lake enthusiast, antique & car collector, as well as a wonderfully generous provider for his wife and three boys. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Ferna Sue Williams; his sons Dr. Steven Williams, MD of Laguna Beach CA, Michael Williams, MBA of Oklahoma City OK and CPT David Williams, MBA of Seattle, WA--and his dog Snoopy. He is also survived by sister Edna Blair of Tellico Plains TN, brother Clyde Williams of Anadarko OK; sister Golda Faye Winters of Maryville TN; sister & brother-in-law Shelby & Harold Sneed of Maryville TN; sister & brother-in-law Wanda & Ed Cardin of Etowah TN; brother & sister-in-law Randall and Darlene Williams of Englewood TN; and many nieces, nephews and their children across the country. He was preceded in death by parents Barney Williams and Dena Mae Bivens Williams of Ball Play TN; sister Revonda Sue Williams; brother Lloyd Williams; sister Willa Mae Williams Long; brother-in-law Jim Blair; brother-in-law Gene Winters; sister-in-law Donna Williams.
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