Keith Strickland Passes Away

Deceased: 14 April 2008

D. Keith Strickland, LCDR. USN (retired) of Loudon, TN passed away Monday, April 14, 2008 at The Patricia Neal Rehab Center following a stroke. He was 66 years old. 

Keith Strickland

He was commissioned an Ensign and designated a Naval Aviator in 1964. He served his country for 20 years, logging over 4,000 flight hours and 488 carrier landings on USS Randolph, USS Intrepid, USS Shangri-la, USS Kitty Hawk, USS Forrestal, and USS Eisenhower. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medals (5), Navy Commendation Medals (2), the Navy Achievement Medal, the Navy Unit Commendation with a Bronze Star, the Vietnam Service Medal with 2 Bronze Stars, the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Unit Citation, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon with Device. He received his B.S. in Business from the University of Georgia in 1971.

After his retirement from the Navy he worked for the Arabian American Oil Company in the Aviation Department for eight years. A resident of Tellico Village, he enjoyed golf and woodworking. He made hand-carved wooden toy cars and trucks for the U.S. Marine Corps "Toys for Tots" program for over 20 years.

Marce Strickland, his wife of 43 years, survives him along with two daughters, Kelly Strickland Gavlak and son-in-law Michael William Gavlak, Jr. of Philadelphia, PA; Kathryn Alyse Rankin and son-in-law David Giles Rankin of Denver, CO; three grandchildren, Michael William Gavlak III, Jordan Alyse Gavlak and Theodore Keith Rankin; his mother, Alice May Strickland of Guntersville, AL; and brother William Frank Strickland of Perry, FL; and a host of loving friends.

Services will be held at Tellico Village Community Church, 130 Chota Center, Loudon, TN on Friday, April 18 at 10:00 a.m. with Rev. Martin C. Singley officiating. Full military honors will be conferred by the U.S. Navy and the Loudon Co. Veteran's Honor Guard. A luncheon will follow the service. The family will receive friends at Click Funeral Home, 109 Walnut St., Lenoir City, TN on Thursday, April 17 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to Tellico Village Community Church, 130 Chota Center, Loudon, TN 37774, the Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center, attn: Karen Hughes, 1901 Clinch Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37916, or The Child Advocacy Center of the Ninth Judicial District of Tennessee, Inc., P.O. Box 928, Lenoir City, TN 37771. Click Funeral Home in Lenoir City is in charge of arrangements.

Originally published in the Knoxville News Sentinel.