Obit Index

WACKERLY, Kyle Joseph, born August 17, 1979, died March 1, 1993. Kyle was a baptized member of The First Lutheran Church. He was a 7th grader at Mustang North Middle School. He enjoyed reading, listening to music, and playing basketball. Kyle was a tissue, bone, heart valve and eye donor.

He is survived by his loving parents, Jim and Sue Wackerly and brother, Brian of Yukon; great grandmother, Anna Ball of OKC; grandparents, Julia Ball Pitzer and John C. Pitzer of OKC, and Bill and JoAnn Wackerly of Edmond; uncles and aunts, Bill and Nita Wilson of Dallas, John Pitzer of OKC, David and Jo Wackerly of Ca., Joe and Johnna Wackerly and Steve and Brenda Wackerly of Edmond; cousins, Scott and Jeff Wilson, Allyson Wackerly, Brandon and Melissa Wackerly; and more friends than he knew.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in care of First Mustang State Bank, Mustang, Ok., for the purpose of refinishing the basketball floor in the "Old P.E. Building." "We'll miss you every day for the rest of our lives. Bob can watch over you now."

Services will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, March 6, at The First Lutheran Church. Interment will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery.

Daily Oklahoman
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
August 11, 1993, pg 1

Gym Repair Honors Teen

Sue and Jim Wackerly lost their son Kyle, 13, when he committed suicide in March.

Beyond shock, their thoughts turned to how their son could be best remembered. They thought of donating funds in his name to a medical foundation to help people suffering from an intestinal disease that Kyle had. But the money would have been sent out of state to New York.

Then the parents thought of their son's love for basketball, and an idea came to mind on how they could both honor their son and help improve an aging court at Mustang High School.

Both Kyle and his older brother, Brian, played in youth leagues, the parents said.

"We felt like from the beginning that we wanted to make something good happen from a very tragic situation," Jim Wackerly said. "That's kind of the way we went."

Jim and Sue Wackerly think their son committed suicide because of a variety of problems that any normal 13-year-old might be going through.

The youth sometimes was in trouble at school.

"He was very intelligent and witty, but he had a lot of problems at school," said Jim Wackerly, "whether he was bored, or whatever.

"He walked to the beat of a different drummer - he was a special little boy."

Sue Wackerly agreed, saying teachers who took time to know Kyle adored him.

She attributed part of his problem to listening to heavy-rock music. "He took the words to heart."

After Kyle's death, Jim and Sue Wackerly said they begin thinking about what to do in their son's memory. So the parents raised $2,000, the Mustang Youth Council raised $500 and the Mustang School District agreed to pay the remainder of the $4,000 cost to refinish the court floor. The district also replaced the court's ceiling.

"We've jokingly said for the last 10 years that the floor needed to be redone," said Jim Wackerly.

Sue Wackerly said workers found during refinishing that the floor is rare and would be cost-prohibitive to replace. Its quality is excellent, she said.

Jim Wackerly said the court is used all year by "hundreds and hundreds" of youth basketball players from Yukon, Mustang, Western Heights, Edmond, Midwest City and Piedmont.

"It's for all kids who love basketball," he said.

Daily Oklahoman
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
March 1, 2007

In Memoriam: 

Kyle J. Wackerly Aug. 17, 1979 - March 1, 1993 ''While shadows are never dispelled completely, it is due to them the light shines bright.'' We love you and miss you. Mom, Dad, and BrianNewsOK.com Powered by The Oklahoman and NEWS 9

Source: The Oklahoman.

Contributed by Marti Graham, March 2007. Information posted as courtesy to researchers. The contributor is not related to nor researching any of the above.