Two veterans. 56 years of love. Help us honor their legacy with a proper farewell.

My name is CW, and I’m reaching out with a heavy heart to ask for your help in honoring two incredible people—my parents.

Sharon and Chuck Kelley were soulmates on Earth for 56 years and are now soulmates in Eternity.

The money raised will be used to pay Rest Haven Funeral Home in Rowlett, TX. The bill for my mother's casket and services is just shy of $8,000. Funds will also be used to provide transportation for my 3 nieces and nephew to attend the burial service at DFW National Cemetery. As of 7/13/2025, I'm only able to assist my oldest niece to attend the service,

My mother, a fierce pioneer and gentle soul, passed away on July 28, 2025, after a long and difficult journey through illnesses. She was a proud U.S. Air Force veteran, serving from 1960–1963 when few women were welcomed in uniform. She used her GI Bill to earn a college degree and went on to work in the 1970s for NOAA—again breaking barriers in a male-dominated field. She was trailblazing, determined, and loving to the core.

My father, a charismatic and deeply respected U.S. Navy Chief, served for 30 years including during the Vietnam War. He overcame a painful childhood and dedicated his life to family, country, and church. After he retired, he made dinner for my mom every night until the day he passed away in April 2020. Their love was real, strong, and enduring—a rare kind of bond that shaped everyone around them.

We will be laying both of them to rest together on Tuesday, July 15 at 1 PM at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.

The Air Force will honor my mother, and I’ve requested a flyover from the Pentagon in her memory. My father will receive full Navy military honors, including a 21-gun salute. Concluding the ceremony will be an Air Force chaplain speaking on behalf of my family.

Everyone attending must arrive in Lane 1 by 12:45 PM to be part of the procession to the pavilion.

I am asking for your help to raise $10,000:

$8,000 for my mother’s burial expenses

$2,000 to help transport my parents’ three grandchildren to attend the service and say goodbye

Five years ago, my mother asked me to come home. I came home immediately to help her maintain the house she and my father purchased in 1986 using her VA loan—her pride and joy.

Suffering from unknown blood loss and anemia for years, her ailments increased and her heart and mind were damaged by lack of blood and oxygen. She remained proud, strong, and determined to learn why her life was ending faster than it should have. We discovered she had undiagnosed liver cirrhosis, and by the time it came to light, it was decompensated cirrhosis on the verge of liver cancer.

At one point, doctors told me her mind was gone and she wasn't able to communicate properly. But I knew better, and I knew my mother—the glimmer in her eyes spoke for her. Her journey had ups and downs, with her body weakening and her mind strengthening.

In her final weeks, I asked her to trust me and take my hand. Smiling, she called out my name and shouted, “This is Heaven!” I guided her walking throughout her gardens without her cane.

She deserved better from the healthcare system, but she never gave up—and neither did I. Now, I want to give her—and my father—the dignified, honorable farewell they both earned.

If you can give anything—any amount at all—it will go directly to their burial and to helping bring their grandchildren to this final, sacred goodbye.

If you can’t give, please consider sharing this message.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring. And thank you for helping me give them the farewell they deserve.

With gratitude,

CW Kelley