Don Kelso - Class of 1954

[Bob]

Donald C. (Don) Kelso, age 79, of Knoxville passed away early Tuesday morning, April 19, 2016 at Parkwest Medical Center. He was born in Okolona, Mississippi. Don was retired from the U.S. Air Force after twenty years of service. He also retired from Martin Marietta Energy Systems as a Travel and Finance Supervisor. He was a member of the American Military Society and the Air Force Sergeants Association. Don loved to fish and was an avid UT fan.

Don is survived by his wife of 40 years, Janice Kelso; daughter and son-in-law, Tammy and Mike Schroeder of Beatrice, Nebraska; son, Jeffrey Kelso and his fiancé Pam Hernandez of Indianapolis, Indiana; grandchildren, Christy and her husband Ryan Neumann; Misty and her husband David Huwaldt, Shaun and his wife Kristen Petet, Tiffany Schroeder and Julia Schroeder, Jeffrey Kelso, Jr., Darcie Kelso, Cody Kelso and Christopher Kelso; 16 great-grandchildren, step-children in name only, grandchildren; great-grandchildren, Melody Fay Holley Armentrout, Dewayne Edward Holley and wife, Val Castro (Divorced); children of Melody: Dustin Wade Armentrout, Kai Matthew Armentrout, Wyatt Reed James Armentrout; children of Dustin: Justice and Chloe; children of Dewayne: Shawn Dallas Holley, Christina (Chrissy) Dawn DeMulling and her husband, Jeremy and their daughter, McKenna; brother, Herbert Allen Kelso of Mississippi; sisters, Bobbie Kennedy, Nancy Beasy, June Conner and husband Wayne Conner, Betty Cleveland and Diane Jackson; a host of nieces and nephews, who loved Uncle Don very much; and many cousins in Mississippi; sisters-in-law, Kay and Danny Webb, children, Brian, Chris and Lance Webb, their grandchildren, Matthew and Jason Webb and Brian's wife, Haley Webb, Joyce Bell, children, Mike Bell and Kenneth Bell, Mike's wife, Carol and children, Dallas and Dillon Bell, and also Justin and Allysa Bell from a previous marriage. Kenneth Bell's children, Kenneth, II and Tawnee. Kathy and Larry Miklus and their daughter, Brandie Miklus and fiancé, Matt Smith. He was loved and admired by ex-in-laws, Sharon Holley, Val Castro Holley, Heath Armentrout, Horace Bell. He was admired by neighbors and special neighbor and friend, Bob Deweese; special friends, Bob and Susan Clark and Mandy and Eddie and Lou Ann Copeland of Eddie's Hair Styling and Victor Holley. Preceded in death by mother, Lois Bethany Kelso; father, Herbert Allen Kelso; brother, T. J. Kelso; sister, Bunny Turner; grandparents, Robert and Pearl Kelso of Mississippi, and Frank and Callie Bethany of Mississippi.

The family will receive friends from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 26th. Family and friends will gather at 1:30 p.m. at the East Tennessee State Veteran's Cemetery, 2200 East Gov John Sevier Highway for graveside service with full military honors conferred by the U S Air Force. Click Funeral Home, 9020 Middlebrook Pike is serving the Kelso family. www.clickfh.com