William Kay, Jr.

A Celebration of Life service for William Wylie Kay, Jr., 77, of Levelland will be held at 2:00 pm, February 7th at Krestridge Funeral Home Chapel in Levelland. Joey Pierce, Craig Krueger and Louis McCormack will officiate. Private graveside services will be conducted at the City of Levelland Cemetery. Family and friends visitation will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 pm on Tuesday, February 6, 2018, at Krestridge Funeral Home.

Wylie was born June 2, 1940 in Tom Bean, Texas to William "Bonnie" Kay and Birdie Kay. When he was 7, the Kay family moved to Terry County where Wylie attended Union High School.

Wylie was a three-sport letterman at UHS; more importantly, he met his future bride Doris at the small country school just south of Brownfield. He was offered scholarships in three different sports, ultimately choosing to play basketball at Wayland Baptist. Wylie and Doris Howell married June 6, 1959 and started their family in Brownfield and later moved to Whitharral, Texas where they lived for twenty-two years.

While at Whitharral, Wylie worked for the Levelland Compress. His civic duty included 12 years on the Whitharral School Board. His children's sports activities made up most of his and Doris's social life. He was especially proud of the fact that all three of his children went on to play sports in college as well.

In 1996, Wylie and Doris moved to Levelland where they continued to work hard. After leaving the Levelland Compress, Wylie traveled with a job aerating golf courses across Texas and New Mexico. The last job Wylie had before getting sick in 2009 was at the Southwest Cotton Growers Compress in Wellman.

Wylie was known for his strength of character, his wisdom and fairness in dealing with other people, his honesty and integrity, and his devotion to his family, his faith, and his community. Few individuals have the work ethic and financial planning skills as Wylie did--when he left Wayland and opted out of his collegiate basketball playing days after marrying Doris (married players could not be on scholarship at that time), Wylie felt it was important to go to work full time and provide for his wife. And, he did just that for 58 1/2 years.

Wylie was preceded in death by his parents; his sisters, Doris Gant and Peggy Bradley; and brother, J.W. Kay. Surviving Wylie is his wife, Doris; sister, Ina Dell Walkup; son, Brian Kay and wife Melanie of Ocean Springs, MS; son, Curtis Alan Kay of Lubbock; daughter, Shelly Leigh Kay of Levelland; granddaughter Jenna Kay and great granddaughter, Rose of Ocean Springs, MS; granddaughter, Kyla Kay Saucier and husband Tommy of Biloxi, MS; and a host of nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.

Pallbearers will be Bobby Avery, Luis Chavez, John David Dukatnik, Walter Kristinek, Kurtis Labadie, and Wade Redman. Honorary Pallbearers are Ernest Kristinek, Don Stafford, Ken "Gator" Gallegly, Donny Polk, Gene Hungerford, Steve Lawless, Greg Kelly, Don Overman and Marion Polk.

Arrangements under the direction and personal care of the professionals at Krestridge Funeral Home. (806) 897-1111

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