Lucille 'Arlene' Leigh Kennedy 7/12/1920 -4/13/2015 After a spirited life of 94 years, our beloved mother and grandmother has joined her husband Paul in heaven. He's been waiting for her there since April 1986. Their birthdays were two days apart, and she always said "ladies first", to remember that her birthday preceded his. As a toddler, Arlene won first place in the Prettiest Baby Girl contest at the Okmulgee County Fair on Sept. 17, 1921. She was born to Rose Vivian (Puckett) and Volney Neville Leigh, who had married while both worked in an Iola, Kansas candy factory. She grew up in Okmulgee, Fort Smith, and Mounds as her dad, a Chevrolet auto mechanic moved around for his job. She met Paul before he joined the Army in 1939. It took him awhile to woo her and convince her to marry him. They were wed in First Methodist Church's Chapel when she turned 20 years old. She traveled from Oklahoma to San Francisco by train to see him off before he was shipped out to the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. One of the younger members of the Greatest Generation, she worked at Douglas Aircraft during WWII as a bicycle messenger.
She was active in Eastern Star and served as a Worthy Grand Matron, an expert home-maker and participated in the Tulsa Home Extension group. A long-time member of Yale Avenue Christian Church, she loved to travel with their ladies group. While on a seniors lobbying trip, she fell on the steps of the Oklahoma State Capitol breaking her leg, which started her health decline.
Arlene is survived by Paul's and her only son Lowell (Marianne) and four lucky grandchildren, David, Elizabeth, Maureen and Kevin. We miss our feisty Mom and Granma terribly but envy the fun she's having with friends and family.
In Lieu of flowers, you may make donations to Yale Avenue Christian Church at 3616 S. Yale Ave. Tulsa, Oklahoma 74135; or St. Francis Hospital.
Funeral service will be 1 PM, Friday, April 17, 2015 at Yale Avenue Christian Church, 3616 S. Yale, Tulsa, OK. Graveside service will be at Oakwood Cemetery, Mounds, OK. Moore's Southlawn 918-663-2233