Dennis Kelley

Service for Dennis Kelley will be at 10:00am, Friday, September 12, 2025, at Cedar Point Church in Claremore, OK. Friends may visit at the funeral home on Thursday, September 11, from 1pm-7pm, with family receiving visitors from 5pm-7pm. A beloved father, grandfather, brother and friend. Dennis passed away on September 5, 2025, in Catoosa, OK. He was 74.

Dennis was born on May 29, 1951, in Blackwell, OK, to Millard and Mary (Bess) Kelley. He attended grade school and high school in Blackwell where he graduated with the class of 1969. After graduating high school Dennis went to work for the Blackwell Zinc Smelter before he proudly served his country in the Army from 1971-1973, stationed in Stuttgart, Germany.

Following his military service Dennis went to work for Haliburton in Oklahoma City as a cementer. He was the youngest cementer Haliburton had ever had at that time. In 1978, he went to work for Belger Cartage Service as a truck driver and later a crane operator, a position he held for 26 years.

In 1980 Dennis met and married Diane Finch of Tulsa, OK, and they had two daughters Sarah and Brenda. They made their home in Claremore, OK until their divorce.

He left Belger to work for Bechtel Corporation in Mastaganum, Algeria, where he set up heavy equipment in compressor stations. On his return from Algeria, he returned to Belger for a period of time. In 2005, Dennis and a long- time working friend co-founded the Midwest Crane company. He served as the company Project Coordinator. a position which allowed him to showcase his technical-expertise and problem- solving skills. While there he embarked on many challenging and memorable projects where his proficiency earned him the respect of his colleagues in the industry who say they would often ask themselves “what would Dennis do?” in challenging situations. Dennis retired from Midwest Crane in 2020 but continued to provide service with his expertise whenever they needed it until his passing.

Dennis was a diehard OU football fan and he loved riding his Harley motorcycle on the weekends. He was proud of his cars and always kept them brand-new clean. In the summer his favorite pastime was spending time on the lake with family and friends. For 15 years, at Christmas, Dennis volunteered at the Tulsa Dream Center organizing and making sure crates of food were available for distribution to the local needy families. Dennis had a great sense of humor and was cherished by friends and co-workers alike. He had an extraordinary gift for storytelling, sharing tales from his life with a unique flair that brought laughter to those around him. A generous and giving person, it was often said that he would give the shirt off his back to help others, embodying the spirit of kindness and community,

Dennis is survived by his two daughters, Sarah Hayes and her husband Chris and their daughters Kenley and Millie of Claremore, OK and Brenda Newcomb and her husband Tony and their three sons Corbin, Owen and Hudson and step-sons Devon and Taylor of Verdigris, who brought him immense joy. He is also survived by his sister Carol Wyatt and her husband Bruce of Catoosa, OK, his brother Roger and his wife Cindy of Owasso, OK as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Millard and Mary Kelley.

In his own words, Dennis expressed contentment with his life, remarking that he had done everything he wanted to do and traveled to every place he wanted to travel. This heartfelt sentiment served as a testament to his fulfillment and readiness for the next journey.

Dennis Kelley will be deeply missed, but his legacy of love, laughter and relentless work ethic will live on in the hearts and minds of all who knew him.