Joe Blain Kersey

Joe Blain Kersey, 90, of Owasso, Oklahoma, passed away peacefully on All Saints Day, November 1, 2023. He was born in Erick, Oklahoma, on March 29, 1933, to Looney Elgin (L.E.) Kersey and Nona Marjorie Campbell Kersey. Joe attended school in Delhi, then Sayre, Oklahoma, where he played football, helped in his father’s barber shop and graduated. He attended Oklahoma A & M (now OSU) receiving a degree in chemistry. During summers he worked as a hired hand on the wheat harvest for the Unsicker family. He impressed the Unsickers with his ability to keep the combines repaired and running. Joe was particularly impressed by one member of the Unsicker family, Martha. They were married June 26, 1957, in Walters, Oklahoma. After completing six months of active duty training for the Army Reserves in Fort Riley, Kansas, Joe and Martha settled in Duncan, Oklahoma. Joe worked as a chemist for Halliburton, then as an engineer after receiving his masters in metallurgical engineering from OU. He was a licensed Professional Engineer and worked for 37 years, retiring in 1993. Joe and Martha raised three children in Duncan, moving in later years to Owasso to be near family. Joe started running in the late 60’s which helped him give up smoking. He went from running a couple of miles to running several marathons. He was always a woodworker, building shelves, remodeling family kitchens, and adding on to the house. In later years, he became a talented woodturner. After retirement, he and Martha traveled together, exploring the world with trips to Mexico, Bolivia, Peru, England, Tibet, China, Russia, Iceland, and Canada. Sadly, Martha passed away May 17, 2021. Joe lived alone until March 2023, when he moved to Brookdale Owasso. There he enjoyed the company of his table mates, daily exercise class, bingo, and occasionally crafts. Joe is survived by his children, Judy (Jay) Evans of Owasso, Laurie (Rick) Dawson of Louisville, KY, and Michael (Karen) Kersey of Austin, TX, and grandchildren Christine, Benjamin, James, Samantha, and Evan. He was preceded in death by his parents, and sister Kitty Rae Abbott. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. at St. Henry Catholic Church in Owasso, Oklahoma, with Father Matt LaChance officiating. Committal service and interment will follow at the columbarium at St. Therese of Lisieux in Collinsville, Oklahoma. Memorial donations in Joe’s name may be made to Catholic Charities or a charity of your choice. Arrangements and services were entrusted to Mowery Funeral Service of Owasso. www.moweryfs.com

Joe Blain Kersey

March 29, 1933 - November 1, 2023