Leroy Duane Bresee's Obituary
Leroy Duane Bresee was born to Roy Bresee and Ellen Davis Bresee in a crooked little farmhouse by the side of the road in Willard, Missouri, on March 20, 1933. Born during the Great Depression, Duane was raised as a hard working Missouri farm boy who labored over the land and animals alongside his parents, brothers, and sisters every day for his first 18 years.
Duane fell in love with “the love of his life,” Eleanor Mills when they were in high school. They married October 10, 1952, at 19 years of age when Duane was in the U.S. Navy in Jacksonville, Florida. After his time in the Navy working as an aircraft mechanic, the couple moved to the Tulsa, OK area to build their lives and family.
Duane and Eleanor created a good life in Oklahoma. Shortly after moving to Tulsa in 1953, Duane began working as an aircraft mechanic for American Airlines. In his 38 years with AA, Duane proudly considered himself “a company man.” In his position of Crew Chief, Duane was respected as a leader who guided with high expectations, integrity, and fairness. He was known for seeking what was equitable and best for both the company and his crew.
Duane and Eleanor moved to Broken Arrow, OK in 1968 where they and their children, Dale, Carol, and Dianne quickly became immersed in the community, schools, sports, and church. As they built their lives, they took time for travel and to see the world! Duane and Eleanor became global travelers having visited every state in the United States, nine Canadian provinces, and fifty countries.
Duane was active at the Broken Arrow Church of Christ for decades. In later years he joined Eleanor each week in teaching Second Grade Bible Class. They continued to attend faithfully until Eleanor’s death in 2014.
In 2017, Duane married Kandi Spalding. They had a happy few years together going on long drives and attending the Friday Night Opry Band. Performances. The children of Duane are grateful to Kandi for caring for their dad in his later years.
In addition to his love for the Lord and his family, Duane was a life-long St. Louis Cardinals fan, OU Sooners fan, avid golfer, vocal Republican, and tremendous handyman. There truly was nothing this man could not figure out how to fix or make better.
Preceded in death by his wife, Eleanor, his parents, Roy and Ellen; brother, Bud Bresee, and sister, Winona Long; Duane is survived by two brothers, Elbert Bresee of Las Vegas, NV and Jerry Bresee of Baton Rouge, LA; two sisters, Betty Zoe Rumsey, Springfield, MO and favorite “baby sister,” Joyce Gott, Sun City, CA. He is also survived by three children and their spouses – Dale Bresee and Tammy, Broken Arrow, OK; Carol Bresee Sallee and Phil, Edmond, OK; Dianne Bresee Davis and Richard Welch, Broken Arrow, OK; nine grandchildren – David, Julie, Kent, Chris, Jill, Jennifer, Tiffany, Josh, and Amy; and nineteen great-grandchildren, ages 14 to 1.
Thank you for joining us today to celebrate the life of our beloved dad and grandpa, Duane Bresee.
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