HomeNewsArticle Display

History passes with Tinker pioneer

  • Published
  • By Dr. James L. Crowder
  • OC-ALC Historian
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  History marks the passing of time, ideas and people. This past month, Tinker Air Force Base lost a pioneer civilian employee with the death of Margaurite Brady of Oklahoma City. Ms. Brady was one of the last two known workers who helped open Tinker Field in 1942.

"Steadfast and loyal," Ms. Brady worked in the same job for more than 46 years, she had the same husband for 59 years and maintained her membership in the same church for 77 years.

Born Sept. 21, 1922, in Oklahoma City, she graduated from Capitol Hill High School and attended a local business college before beginning her career at Tinker on April 1, 1942. 

Margaurite Mary Olive Welch entered civil service as a coding clerk (typist) in the Supply Division and ended as a supervisory inventory specialist in the Directorate of Distribution on Sept. 2, 1988. During those many years, she claimed her biggest challenge was adapting first to electric typewriters and then to computers. She recalled that in the early days, all supply documents were filed manually in the office upstairs in Bldg. 1.

Always known for her grand smile, well coiffured coal-black hair and sassy attitude, Ms. Brady earned the respect and admiration of her co-workers by being the same happy person, on or off the job. She never sought public recognition or high grade, but only a reputation for being dependable and dedicated. She was simply a product of an era that considered stability and faithfulness a virtue.

She considered one of the highlights of her time at Tinker to be the 40th anniversary celebration of the base in 1982. At the time, she was one of 19 "42ers" still on staff. When she retired six years latter, the number was down to three.

Ms. Brady's husband, Ernest, also faithfully put in 37 years with Tinker's civil engineering organization before he retired in 1979. He preceded her in death by only five months. They are survived by one daughter, Lynette, who lives in Yukon with her family. The passing of Air Force patriots, young or old, gives us pause to think and be thankful for their service.