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Kenneth Joe Dunlap was born January 26, 1931 to Ray and Lucille Dunlap in Hardy, Arkansas. He passed away March 7, 2020 in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The Dunlap family moved to Bartlesville in 1937 and in 1939 Ray founded Dunlap Construction Company, which remained in business for over 80 years.
Kenny attended Lincoln and Horace Mann elementary schools, continued at Central Middle School and graduated from the relatively new College High School in 1949.
Following graduation from high school, Kenny attended Oklahoma A & M on a basketball and baseball scholarship. After a year at A & M, Kenny signed a professional contract with the New York Yankees. This resulted in him transferring to Drury College in Springfield, Missouri, where he was able to continue his education and play basketball, as he still had his amateur status in that sport.
At Drury, Ken met Levah LaNell Bishop and they were married December 21, 1952 at the Stone Chapel on the Drury campus. Ken completed his Bachelor of Arts in Education in the spring of 1953. His final baseball season was in the summer of 1953 with the Natchez Mississippi Indians.
With his baseball career over, he returned to Bartlesville and built his new home on Frank Phillips and Waverly, one of the first homes in Pennington Hills.
In that home, Ken and Levah raised three sons, Mike, Tom, and Jim. Ken coached baseball, basketball and youth football for many years. Ken served many years on the Board of Directors of the Boys & Girls Club and the YMCA. Ken and Levah were active in the First Baptist Church and Bartlesville Southern Baptist Church.
He was still playing pickup basketball into his sixties. Ken loved golf and played at both Sunset Country Club and Hillcrest Country Club the majority of his adult life. He was preceded in death by the majority of his playing partners.
In the 1960’s, he became the driving force of Dunlap Construction building many custom homes and commercial businesses in the community. If you were good with a handshake, Ken was also.
Ken was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Levah, of 57 years. He is survived by his sister, Theresa Dunlap of Bartlesville and three sons, Mike, Tom and Jim and their families: Mike and Paula Dunlap, grandson Ryan Dunlap and wife Bridgette, and their daughters Kennedy and Blakely; grandson Travis Dunlap and wife Sophia, and granddaughter Kelsey Dunlap; son Tom and Janey Dunlap, granddaughter Emma Hamilton and husband Tim, and their daughter, Evelyn; granddaughter Sara Scullawl and husband Skyler; Jim and Pam Dunlap, grandsons Harrison and Preston and granddaughter Avery.
There will be a memorial Service at Bartlesville Southern Baptist Church, 5111 Nowata Road, Bartlesville, Oklahoma on Monday March 9th at 11:00 a.m. -Arrangements are under the direction of the Stumpff Funeral Home & Crematory in Bartlesville.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be sent to Bartlesville Community Foundation. 208 E. 4th Street, Bartlesville, OK 74003.
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