A.R. Kuykendall
.R. Kuykendall, 87, of Cherokee died May 3, 2011. He was born in San Saba County on July 1, 1923, to Warren and Eula (Gray) Kuykendall.
He married Billie Gene Peacock on Nov. 22, 1950, in Llano.
He was a member of Cherokee Church of Christ and the American Legion.
He enlisted in the Coast Guard Sept. 22, 1942. He was aviation ordinance man, patrolling the North Atlantic for submarines. He later volunteered to go to Lighter Than Air school at Lakehurst, N.J., for blimp training under the Navy. The Navy was going to use the Coast Guard and blimps to patrol for submarines, but the war ended and they were sent to Traverse City, Mich., to re-open a Navy base and perform air-sea rescue.
He got out of the coast Guard after World War II and enlisted in the Army Reserve. After 12 years, he entered the Navy Reserve and retired with 39 years as a chief petty officer in 1982.
During this time, he attended the following stations: Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, N.Y. — Boot camp; St. Augustine, Fla.- gunnery school; Providence, R.I. — receiving station; Salem, Mass. — Coast Guard Air Station; Elizabeth City, N.C.— air station, overhaul and supply; Lakehurst, N.J. — blimp base; Traverse City, Mich. — air-sea rescue; Camp Pendleton, Calif.; Fort Hood; Fort Sill, Okla.; Dallas Naval Air Station; New Orleans life boat station; and Rota, Spain.
He worked for Armco Steel in Houston for 26 years and then retired. He and his wife returned to the life he knew as a young boy — ranching.
Survivors include his daughters Becky Davis and husband Thomas of Llano and Sidonee Seward and husband Larry of Austin; grandchildren Sean Krenek, Logan Davis and Peter Culbert; great-grandchildren Ian and Tyler Culbert; brother Kenneth Kuykendall and wife Maud Ann of Cherokee; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was proceeded in death by his wife on April 23, 2002; daughter Kathryn Marlene Kuykendall; sisters Kathryn Kuykendall and Camille Scott; and brother Randall Kuykendall.
Visitation is 6 p.m. May 6 at Waldrope-Hatfield-Hawthorne Funeral Home, 307 E. Sandstone in Llano, (325) 247-4300. A service is 3 p.m. May 7 at Cherokee Church of Christ with Leston Fields officiating. A military graveside service will be provided by the Highland Lakes Honor Guard at Gray Cemetery in San Saba County.
Pallbearers include Roddy Maddox, Jay Kuykendall, Charley Kuykendall, Randy Kuykendall, Glen Pittman, J.L. Coffman, Tommy Duncan and Gene Lowry. Honorary pallbearers include Logan Davis, Sean Krenek, Joe Neal Sawyer, James Epperson, Doug Suggs and Eddie W ilson.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 2433 Ridgepoint Drive, Suite B, Austin, TX 78754, or a charity of choice.
Condolences may be sent to whhfuneral1@verizon.net or made online at www.whhfuneralhome.com.