Clyde "Keith" McCormick

1929 - 2022

Clyde "Keith" McCormick, 92, of North Platte, formerly of Valentine, passed away on July 1, 2022, at Linden Court, surrounded by family. He was born on July 21, 1929, in Sparks to Charles William and Melva Irene (Bingham) McCormick. Keith graduated from Valentine High School and attended technical training school in Rapid City, South Dakota. Following that, he attended pilot training in Winner, South Dakota, from 1947-48 where he became the youngest private pilot in South Dakota and the youngest commercial pilot in Texas. He worked as a pilot for three years and during that time he built his own plane out of spare parts. He was married to Betty Foster and they were blessed with four children. He loved taking his children on daring rides in his airplane. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and served from 1951-54 as a decoder during the Korean War. His unit was instrumental in breaking the code that helped end the Korean War. In later years, he met and married Marilyn Lou Jones. He co-owned and operated McCormick propane service in Valentine along with his brother Chuck. Being a "jack-of-all-trades," Keith worked at various jobs throughout his career including cable TV and electrical repairs. Keith volunteered his time as a transporter with the Valentine Hospital, transporting patients from the Pine Ridge Reservation and Cherry Hills Assisted Living to appointments. He was a great storyteller, enjoyed building model airplanes, and was a member of the VFW in Valentine. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Melva; wife, Marilyn; daughter and son-in-law, Linda (Ron) Eggleston; and brother, Charles "Chuck" McCormick. Those left to cherish Keith's memory are daughter, Kathy (Tom) Gunderson of Phoenix, Arizona; sons, Keith (Ronna) McCormick of Casper, Wyoming, and Michael (Shari) McCormick of Coppell, Texas; brothers, Gene McCormick of Valentine and Melvin (Tracy) McCormick of Denver; seven grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and three nephews and one niece. In lieu of flowers, memorials/donations are suggested to Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Nebraska (vfwne.com). Online condolences and sharing of memories may be expressed to the family at carpentermemorial.com. Funeral service is at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 6, at Carpenter Memorial Chapel with Pastor Anne Durboraw officiating. Burial to follow with military honors at Fort McPherson National Cemetery, near Maxwell. Carpenter Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.