Kenneth James DeBerry

Kenneth J. DeBerry, 85, of Abilene, passed away on Monday, August 21, 2017 in Abilene, Texas.

A committal service will be held at 10:00 am on Friday, August 25, 2017 at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene, 7457 West Lake Road, Abilene, Texas.  A memorial service will follow at 11:30 am at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road.  Bo Whitaker will officiate.  The family will receive friends from 5:00 to 7:00 pm on Thursday, August 24, 2017 at the funeral home.

Kenneth was born in Weldona, Colorado to James and Cora DeBerry on July 30th, 1932.  He went to school at Hutchinson, Kansas.  He graduated from Hutchinson High School, and then went on to serve his country in the US Navy, performing his duty as a Control Tower Operator in Sanford, Florida.   Upon completion of his service as a Navy Seaman First Class, he returned to Hutchinson to support his mother. 

While working and preparing for enrollment in college, Kenneth married Marian Gladys Janzen on November 4, 1954 in Hutchinson. He completed Junior College in 1955 in preparation for the move to Norman, Oklahoma where he enrolled in the Petroleum Engineering program at Oklahoma University.  Graduating in 1957, Ken worked for Reed Roller Bit in Kansas for a short time. Shortly after, Ken and Marian loaded the family and everything they owned in the family sedan and without a job lined up headed south, traveling from snow covered Liberal Kansas to balmy Corpus Christi, Texas, in search of a job and career in the bustling oil industry of south Texas.  

As a Petroleum Engineer, Ken became one of the first few employees for Coastal States Gas Producing Company in Corpus Christi and Abilene, Texas working for the next 5 years.  He also passed the Texas State Licensed Professional Engineering program and became a license PE in Texas. Ken eventually started his own business and then retired early to spend time with his wife Marian and family.

He was preceded in death by his father and mother, daughter-in-law Debbie, and grandsons Tyler and Brent.   

Kenneth is survived by wife Marian, son Jim, daughter Sandy and her husband John, son Tom and his wife Kathy.  Also, Kenneth had 6 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be Tanner DeBerry, Travis DeBerry, Tom DeBerry, John Casimir, Larry Turner and Gary Young.

Memorials may be given to the donor’s charity of choice.