Roll Call Tribute

Grace Funeral Home obituary
2401 Houston Highway
Victoria, TX
77901, US

SIDNEY CLIFFORD KEY

1919 ~ 2016

Sidney Clifford Key, 96, passed away March 9, 2016. He was born in Calhoun County on August 14, 1919 to M.H. “Mack” Key and Jentie French Key. A month after he was born a hurricane demolished his home and the family moved to Port Lavaca and stayed there until 1929 when the family moved to Bloomington, Texas.

He graduated from Bloomington High School in 1938 and from Texas A & M in 1942 and immediately was sent to O.C.S. School in Quantico, Virginia. He served his country as a Major in the Marines in WWII in the South Pacific Theatre where he was awarded the Purple Heart by Admiral Nimitz. He also received the Presidential Unit Citation with four Oak Leaf clusters, the Pacific Theatre Ribbon with four Battle Stars and several other ribbons. After the war he taught at Victoria College and later retired from Union Carbide.
Sidney also kept busy with cattle ranching and spent many hours researching the Key Family and later published a book. He was an avid bridge player and belonged to several clubs. He kept in touch with his Marine Corp buddies and spent many years going to the reunions. He was a member of the Model A Club and drove his 1929 Ford Cabriolet in many parades. He loved to fish and was a member of the Hasselman Bay Fishing Club. Sidney was a charter member of the A & M club of Victoria, a member of American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, Masonic Lodge #40, Order of the Purple Heart and a long time member of the First United Methodist Church.

Sidney is survived by his wife Georgia Hahn Key, a daughter Kathy Hebert of Corpus Christi; a son Steven Key of Phoenix, Arizona; five grandsons, Scott Smith of Corpus Christi, Craig Smith and wife (Sheri) of Austin, Matthew Key and wife Betsy of Seattle, Washington, Nathan Key and wife Nikki of San Diego, California, Joshua Key and wife Lindie of Phoenix, Arizona and eleven great grandchildren. Sidney is also survived by three step daughters Sharon Wade of Marietta, Georgia, Marsha Moyer of Austin, Texas and Cindy Daly and husband Bill of Bartlesville, Oklahoma; one step grandson Jared Daly of Oklahoma City and three step granddaughters, Heather Boyd and husband Derek of Parker, Amanda Wylie and husband Doug of Tomball and Chelsea Wilborn of Austin and five great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife Helene Hooper Key and a brother Norman Key.

Sidney was a kind, gentle and loving man who will be greatly missed by friends and family.

Visitation will be held from 1:00 – 2:00 pm at First United Methodist Church with the service to follow at 2:00 pm on Monday, March 14, 2016. Reverend Marilyn Von Roeder-Kunkel will officiate. Burial with full military honors under the auspices of the Victoria County Veterans Council, AL, CWV, VFW, DAV, MCL, MOWW, EX-POW, MOPH, VVA, and KWV will be at Memory Gardens Cemetery. Pallbearers are Al Hartman, Charlie Baros, Craig Smith, Scott Smith, Derek Boyd and Buck Hicks. Honorary Pallbearers are the Members of the Come One Come All Sunday School Class, Dr. Gulshan Minocha, Doug Wylie and Harold and Nancy Farris.

Memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church or WoundedWarrior.org.

Family and friends are invited to Wesley Hall for refreshments and a time of fellowship following the committal.

Condolences and memories can be shared online to www.gracefuneralhome.net

Services under the care of Grace Funeral Home.
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(Published in) Victoria Advocate (on) March 14, 2016

Decorated WWII veteran laid to rest

By Laura Garcia
March 14, 2016 at 10:27 p.m.
Updated March 15, 2016 at 6 a.m.

Sidney Clifford Key was a man with a deep love of his country, his church and his family.

The World War II veteran was remembered by loved ones Monday at the First United Methodist Church and was buried with full military honors.

Key died at age 96 on March 9 and was survived by his wife of 22 years, Georgia Hahn Key, and many family members.

"Life with Sidney was one big adventure," said the Rev. Marilyn von Roeder-Kunkel during his funeral.

She recalled his gorgeous smile, that he sat in the same pew each week with his wife and that he loved to sing old Methodist hymns.

Charlie Baros said he worked with his friend for 29 years at Union Carbide before retiring in 1985.

Afterward, they used to tend cattle together.

Baros said he couldn't remember if Key was ever upset with anybody because he was so nice to be around.

"He was a fine guy," Baros said, adding he was always a faithful Marine.

He served as a major in the Marines in WWII in the South Pacific Theater, where he was awarded the Purple Heart by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz.

He also received the Presidential Unit Citation with four oak leaf clusters and the Pacific Theater ribbon with four battle stars among other honors.

After his years of service, Key kept in touch with his Marine Corps buddies and went to annual reunions.

Al Hartman recalled he met his friend of more than 40 years at Union Carbide.

He said Key didn't speak a lot, but he was still quite a character.

"He was a very generous person," he said. "He was tough, too."

Hartman remembered when he went out on the boat with Key, he was serious about fishing.

But when his alma mater, Texas A&M, was playing, he didn't care if he bothered the fish; he kept the radio on.

Family members said Key was the kind of person who kept busy and was always working on a project.

He belonged to several clubs and enjoyed restoring his 1929 Ford Cabriolet.

In his 90s, Key told a family member he figured out how to fix his carburetor by watching a YouTube tutorial.

He was also known by neighbors to walk his beloved dachshund twice a day.

His stepgranddaughter, Chelsea Wilborn, said he was always polite.

Although the relation wasn't biological, he was a grandfather figure to her.

"He was just one of those people who would welcome anyone," she said.