Memorial service for MSG (Retired) Donald W. Kesler Jr. will be 10:30 a.m. Friday September 18, 2020 at the Centenary United Methodist Church in Lawton, Oklahoma. Inurnment will at the Fort Sill National Cemetery I Elgin, Oklahoma at 1:30 p.m. with Military Honors.

MSG (Retired) Donald W. Kesler, Jr., 76, of Lawton, Oklahoma passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 14, 2020 in Oklahoma City.

Don, Jr. was born on January 17, 1944 to Dr. Donald W. Kesler, Sr., and Jane (Hafley) Kesler in Colorado Springs, Colorado while Don, Sr. was stationed there during World War II.  After the war, the young family moved back to Don, Sr.'s hometown of Lima, Ohio where Don, Jr. was soon joined by younger brothers Bruce and Pete.  The three active boys arrived in four short years and their many hijinks became the source of family tall tales that continued to grow as the calendar pages turned.  Following graduation from Lima Senior High School in 1962, Don attended The Ohio State University. The shenanigans did not cease when he left for college so his parents absolved him of any guilty sentences and all punishments were commuted.

Don was honored during college to "Dot the I" of the script Ohio, a time-honored tradition of Ohio State Buckeye football, and after two years enlisted in the U.S. Army.  His career in the field artillery lasted 22 years, 2 months, and 2 days.  Tours of duty included Schweinfurt, Germany; Wertheim, Germany; White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico; and Kitizingen, Germany, with several periods interspersed throughout his career at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma.  He deployed to Vietnam in 1969 and earned the Vietnam Service Medal with four service stars. His career awards include two Bronze Stars, the Meritorious Service Medal, an Air Medal, four Army Commendation Medals, six Good Conduct Medals, and three overseas service ribbons, among others. Ever the patriot, he passed away on Flag Day and the U.S. Army's 245 ^th birthday.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Cameron University with a degree in Management Information Systems.  After retiring from the Army in 1985, Don worked in Lawton for Telos as a quality assurance specialist developing artillery fire control software. He retired after more than 20 years in this position from the same company, now known as Stanley Associates after several company name changes but no desk changes.

Don was active in the Lawton community and several non-profit organizations.  He was a life-long United Methodist who sang in the church choir and helped with his children's church youth group.  He served on the City of Lawton's Human Rights Commission and worked to enhance the city's ability to serve persons with disabilities.  As a result, he was recognized by the governor of Oklahoma as one of the recipients of the 1998 State of Oklahoma Human Rights Award. Don also served on the board of directors for Hospice of Southwest Oklahoma and was active with the local chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.  His true love was stamp collecting and he was the President of the Casey Jones Railroad Unit; an international stamp club devoted to the collection of postage stamps with images of trains.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Donald W Kesler, Sr., and Jane Kesler.

Survivors are his children and their families: Beth and Kip Wright of Bristow, Oklahoma, Paul and Kathy Kesler of Edmond, Oklahoma, and three grandchildren, Robert, Sean and Kaitlyn Kesler, as well as his two brothers and their wives, Bruce and Chris Kesler of Talmo, Georgia, and Pete and Lisa Kesler of Salem, Virginia, along with numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to either the hospice organization of your choice or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society at www.nationalmssocoety.org .