Veteran, Harvard grad honored in Edmond
Edmond Senior Center: WWII officer is named Volunteer of the Month

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Published: November 4, 2009

EDMOND — Ken Lisle is the November Volunteer of the Month at Edmond Senior Center.

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"All our boys eventually found their way to Edmond, so in 2004 after 50 years in Enid, Mildred and I moved to Edmond to be closer to our children and grandchildren."
Ken Lisle

Lisle was born in McLoud in 1922. His father was a pharmacist who owned and operated Lisle Drug along with Lisle’s younger brother, Howard, for 50 years. His older brother, Dr. A. C. Lisle, became one of Oklahoma City’s first neurosurgeons.

After high school Ken Lisle served as assistant postmaster and mail clerk in McLoud.

He began his college career at the University of Oklahoma in 1941 majoring in pharmacy. The Monday after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Lisle enlisted with the U.S. Navy. He was stationed in Newfoundland for six months and was accepted into the officer training program, enabling him to spend the next three years studying at Harvard.

After Harvard, Lisle completed midshipmen school in New York City, and was then deployed to the Pacific theater where he served as an officer on the U.S.S. Yorktown aircraft carrier. "From my ship I was able to witness the historic signing of the surrender terms in Tokyo Bay ending World War II,” he said. "A year later, after having primary responsibility for mothballing the Yorktown, I returned to OU to complete my education.”

In his last semester of school, Lisle met and married Mildred, his wife of almost 60 years.

He has three sons — Kenny, Mark and Todd. "All our boys eventually found their way to Edmond, so in 2004 after 50 years in Enid, Mildred and I moved to Edmond to be closer to our children and grandchildren,” he said. Mildred died in January 2008.

Since moving to Edmond, Lisle has been worshipping at First Presbyterian Church of Edmond. "I also enjoy time with family, some golf and my various activities at the Edmond Senior Center. I participate in the exercise class regularly, play pool and spend time with friends,” he said.