Obituary of William Stinson Gailey III

William S. (Bill) Gailey, III, was born on October 3, 1934 in Philadelphia, PA to Harold Lambert Gailey and Carmen Ferriera (Nobriga) Gailey. Bill passed from this life in Tulsa, OK after a long bout with coronary heart disease on March 27, 2015 at the age of 80. As his father was a career Navy Chief Electricians Mate, Bill grew up in Philadelphia, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Upon graduation from Whitman High School in 1952. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force on January 6, 1953. He retired September 1, 1975 after serving 22 years, 7 months and 25 days of continuous active military service. During this time he served in the latter part of the Korean Conflict and during the Vietnam War. He was awarded two Meritorious Service Medals, two Air Force Commendation Medals, two National Defense Service Medals, Army Good Conduct Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Force Good Conduct Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters and other ribbons. He was a Life Member of the DAV and VFW. He was also a member of the Air Force Sergeants Association. While in the Air Force he met and married Arvella B. Hooser of Kiowa, OK. After retirement they resided in McAlester until 1990 when they moved to Krebs where Bill had built a family home. In 1996 they moved to Glenpool, OK until 2001 when they relocated back to the family home in Krebs. In 2014 Bill moved to Tulsa to be closer to his children. Bill was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Arvella; his brothers, Harold Lambert Gailey, Jr. and sister-in-law, Frannie Gailey and Robert Miller Gailey. He is survived by his children, Peggy Peevy, of Tulsa, OK, Sandy Bohannon, of Dallas, TX, Carmen Goff and husband, Steve of Jenks, OK, Tammy Haraway and husband, Dr. Davin Haraway, of Jenks, OK and William S. (Bill) Gailey, IV and wife, Karen of O’Fallon, MO; a sister, Carmen Adams and her husband, Rich, of Massachusetts; 10 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. The family will receive friends from 4-7PM Monday at the Ninde Brookside Funeral Home, 3841 S. Peoria, Tulsa, OK. Graveside service with Military Honors 2:00 P.M. Tuesday Oak Hill Cemetery McAlester. Also viewing will take place at the graveside prior to the service from 12:30 – 1:45 P.M. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the American Heart Association.