Sand Springs icon Kim Lee Tilley laid to rest
/Kim Lee Tilley, center front, pictured with the 2017 Sand Springs City Council.
Former Sand Springs City Councilman and businessman Kim Lee Tilley was laid to rest Monday at Woodland Memorial Park, following his death on January 13th. Services were held at Broadway Baptist Church with Pastor Lee Herring officiating.
Tilley was 81 years old at the time of his death. He was born to James Tedford Tilley and Linnie Mitchell Tilley on September 13, 1939 in Pawhuska. He played basketball and volleyball for Prue High School, helping the Rockets to a volleyball State Championship his senior year.
After graduation Tilley joined the U.S. Army and served in the Vietnam War. Following his service he earned an Associates Degree from Tulsa Junior College. On June 20, 1964 he married Janie Davis and the couple settled in Sand Springs where they raised children, Vicki and Roydon.
After 17 years as traffic manager at Wheatley Company he purchased Tilley’s Grocery Store on the corner of Fourth and Cleveland. He retired from the business after 21 years in 2002. That building still stands to this day, despite a devastating structure fire in 2016.
Tilley was elected to the Sand Springs City Council in 1970 from Ward 4 and served till 1975. He then served as the Ward 6 representative rom 1979 to 1982, and again from 1985 to 2009. On multiple occasions he was elected as Vice Mayor. In 2017 he was awarded the John M. Hess Award for Outstanding Citizenship. The City of Sand Springs ordered all City flags to be flown at half staff for two days following his death.
