Ralph Melvin Burley
1926-2018
Ralph Melvin Burley was born March 21st, 1926, to Fornie and Margaret Burley, in Arkansas City, Kansas. He was the first of twin boys born to them on that date, his brother Robert being the second. They later moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he grew up and went to school. He was drafted into the Navy in the spring of 1944 and was officially inducted on June 1st of that year. After basic training, he was assigned duty to the destroyer ship U.S.S. Grayson, where he served in the Pacific until the war’s end in 1945. After being honorably discharged in May of 1946, he returned to Tulsa, where he eventually met Lois Tinney. He took an accounting job with Sun Oil Company, and they were married on May 27, 1949. After having two children, they moved to Broken Arrow in 1961. Their third child was born the following year. In 1976 he voluntarily transferred with the company to Gillette Wyoming, where he worked until his retirement in 1986. Upon retiring thee couple moved to Casper, Wyoming, where they lived until 1994. On June 1st of that year, they moved to Edmond, and have resided in Oklahoma City area ever since. Ralph passed away on January 10th, 2018. He is survived by his wife, Lois, son Kevin, and daughters Lisa and Suzanne, all of the Oklahoma City metro area, as well as 9 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, January 20, 2018 at South Yukon Church of Christ in Yukon, OK.v
Ralph was such a blessing and encouragement to us all during his time at the Edmond church of Christ. His smile was always present and made you want to join right in and smile with him. And one can’t think of Ralph without also thinking of Lois. What a beautiful couple who showed through their lives what God created marriage to be. Thank you, God, for the life of Ralph Burley.