Clifford Keheley

Clifford Vincent Keheley, Sr. passed away on May 10, 2025 at the age of 90.

Cliff was born on July 15, 1934 in Little Rock, Arkansas to Ralph Sayre Keheley and Edna Violet (Clifford). He earned a BA in Mathematics from Hendrix College and BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Arkansas. Six months after meeting on a blind date, he married Cynthia Lorraine Bradford on December 26, 1959.

Cliff served as a Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy. He was very proud of his service aboard the USS Lexington (CV-16) during the 1958 Taiwan Strait Crises. Following his service, he began his career in public service as a Civil Engineer and worked for the cities of Little Rock, Fort Smith, Hurst and retired after a 20-year career with the City of Dallas in 1995. As Director of Public Works and later as First Assistant City Manager, Cliff was honored to have helped shaped the growth of Dallas during his career, most notably as the Project Manager for the Meyerson Symphony Hall.

Following his retirement, Cliff and Cynthia returned to Arkansas where they successfully owned and managed rental property, opened two retail stores in Downtown Hot Springs, and volunteered for numerous non-profits and community initiatives. They eventually retired again and returned to Dallas to be with family. Cliff was an avid reader with a library full of history, naval warfare, spy thrillers, mysteries and biographies. He loved classical music, coin collecting, genealogy and playing bridge. He had a wonderful sense of humor and would lighten any situation with a witty comment or observation.

He was preceded in death by Cynthia who passed away in 2019. Cliff is survived by his daughter and her husband Carole Anne and Mark Rolling of Rowlett, their daughter and her husband Meagan and Michael Kuitu of College Station, his son and his wife Cliff Jr. and Paulette Keheley and their children Madeline, Calvin and Ella all of Mesquite.

A celebration of life will be held 10 a.m. June 11 at New Hope Funeral Home in Sunnyvale followed by a reception with his friends at Five Star Premier Residences in Dallas.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate support of Vickery Meadows Food Pantry and Clothes Closet, Sharing Life, or a social service agency of your choice.