Doyle Eugene Powell's Obituary
Doyle Eugene Powell was born on June 10, 1927 in Chanute, Kansas to Clyde and Audrey Powell. He had one younger brother Clyde DeWayne Powell. He grew up on a Cities Service Booster Station near Matfield Green, Kansas. Doyle’s father helped build the station and then lived there as a crew member until he retired. Doyle spent his youth hunting and fishing in the woods of the Flint Hills that surrounded their home. He attended and graduated from Matfield Green HS where he played on the Varsity Basketball Team.
At 17 years of age, he enlisted in the Navy to serve his country in World War II. Doyle was an accomplished tenor singer and while in the Navy he tried out and was accepted in the prestigious Navy Bluejacket Choir which was featured in movie theaters in a series of “Meet your Navy” movie shorts with Derwood Kirby as band leader during WWII. After the war he returned home and married his High School sweetheart Jean Eastman on May 30, 1948. He attended Emporia State University where he obtained a Bachelors Degree in Math and Industrial Arts. While working for Coca Cola immediately after college he joined the Army Reserves. In June of 1950, the Korean War broke out and he was sent to serve in Korea for two years as a Combat Engineer with the rank of Sergeant. Upon his return, he began teaching High School Math near Emporia while pursuing a Masters Degree on the GI Bill. He eventually moved to Wichita to begin working for Boeing Aeronautics.
In 1957 he and Jean had a son, Patrick Allen and in 1960 added a daughter, Janet Ann. In 1963 the
family moved to Tulsa, OK where Doyle went to work in management for Rockwell International
working on large government projects such as the Hound Dog Nuclear Missile and the Apollo Space
program. In 1979 he went to work for Auto Crane Company as a Materials Manager. Within a few
years he became the President of Auto Crane where he worked until he retired in 1993 and moved his office to the first tee box at Indian Springs.
Doyle had a lifelong love affair with the game of golf. He and Jean went on many golfing trips through the decades with many wonderful friends. They were members of Rolling Hill CC and later Indian Springs CC where Doyle was a member of the ROB (Retired Ol’ Boys) golf group. He and Jean developed countless treasured friendships through the years through golf and at John Calvin Presbyterian Church where they attended 57 years until the church closed in 2019.
Doyle passed peacefully into the arms of his Lord and Savior on Monday, April 17, 2023 and is survived by his loving wife Jean Eastman Powell, Patrick and Jeani Powell of Mustang, Jan and Gary Reed of Tulsa, grandchildren Sean Powell, Jennifer Pickle, Christen Mahaffey, Josh Pickle and Travis Reed, 7 great grandchildren and a host of beloved extended family and friends.
A Celebration of Life memorial Service is scheduled for 12:30pm on Saturday, April 29, 2023 at the Floral Haven Funeral Home Chapel, 6500 South 129th E. Ave in Broken Arrow. A reception will be following at The Club at Indian Springs at 16006 E 131st Street, Broken Arrow.
In lieu of flowers please send donations to Saint Judes Childrens Hospital in honor of Doyle Powell.
*The family would like to extend special thanks to the wonderful caregivers at Saint Francis Hospice, to Dorothy Patton for countless lovingly prepared meals and to Jed and Kay Wright for their extra special care and friendship during the past year.
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