Kenneth Doian Hice's Obituary
Kenneth Hice died Wednesday September 27, 2023, after a short illness at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa.
Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday October 3 at 1:00 PM at the Carbondale Church of Christ. Internment follows at Floral Haven Cemetery in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
Kenneth was born September 17, 1931, in Perry Township, Arkansas to the late Robert Earl Hice and Mary Elizabeth (Malone) Hice. Soon after the family moved to southeast Missouri and farmed near Gray Ridge, Missouri where Kenneth graduated high school in 1950.
Kenneth joined the U.S. Air Force in 1951 and after completing basic training at Lackland AFB, Texas was assigned to Air Rescue at Albrook AFB in the Panama Canal Zone. While home on leave he eloped with Nelda Fraulein Mays of Lillbourn, Missouri and they married in Greenway, Arkansas July 17, 1953. In December 1954 he was honorably discharged from the Air Force at Luke AFB, Arizona. Shortly after, the family moved to Chicago, Illinois where Kenneth studied electronics at DeVry Technical Institute. After completing training Kenneth reenlisted in the Air force and began his career in electronics and remained in the Air Force until his honorable retirement in 1972. During his 20-year service in the Air Force the family were transferred eleven times, but most enjoyed the 6 years living in France and Germany.
After retiring from the Air Force Kenneth Joined United Video in Tulsa Oklahoma where he was responsible for building a new microwave communication network between Chicago and Texas. After many ownership changes, United Video merged with Sprint Communications and Kenneth was promoted to Regional Manager and assigned to decommission the microwave network he built years earlier and replace it with a new fiber optic network. He retired from Sprint in 1993 and he and Fraulein enjoyed frequent travels across America.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 68 years: Nelda Fraulein Hice; and two brothers: Delmer Hice and Arnie Hice.
He is survived by three sons: Keith Hice (Denise); Mark Hice; Jay Hice (Megumi); one daughter Karan Hice Bearer (Thomas); one brother: Don Hice. He also leaves five grandchildren: Stephanie Hice, Megan Hice, Jackson Bearer, Matthew Hice, and Allison Bearer.
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