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Timothy Thomas Serey

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Timothy, age 77, died August 16, 2020 with his wife and one of his daughters by his side.
Tim was born on December 17, 1942 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He grew up in Cincinnati, where he graduated from Elder High School, and soon enlisted in the Air Force, where he served for 9 years. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the University of Cincinnati, a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Xavier University, and his Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the University of Cincinnati. Tim was a Professor at Northern Kentucky University for over 19 years before moving with his family to Arizona in 1998.
Tim married Shirley Kokiet Lewis on December 16, 1975 in Cincinnati, Ohio and together, they built a beautiful life for their family. Being a loving husband, father, and grandfather was the most important part of his life.
Throughout his life, Tim took on many new hobbies and interests, but he will always be remembered for his love of airplanes, travel, and politics. He learned to fly and became instrument and commercially rated. He would never pass up an opportunity to look up in the sky at an airplane going by, and his most favorite trips were family cruises and visits to Turkey where he had lived for 2 years while in the military. Tim also did volunteer work throughout his life, including Big Brothers, Wright Flight, and counseling at the local armory for veterans returning to civilian life. Many times, he would anonymously pick up the tab for lunch when he saw members of the military eating with their families.
Tim is lovingly survived by his wife Shirley; daughter Samantha Murphy; son-in-law Timothy Murphy; daughter Jennifer Eichberg; grandsons Thomas and Emmet; sister Kathy Serey; nieces Donna Taylor, Deanna Dixon, and Danielle McGee; sister Sue VanWassenhove, and cousins Bobbie and Sandy Portner and will be deeply missed by many other family members and former students, and friends.
Our special thanks go to Alzheimer’s Association and Hospice of the Valley for their support and kindness through this process. And our love and admiration especially goes out to the wonderful, caring, devoted, and loving staff at MorningStar where Tim has lived for the past several months.
A private service and burial took place at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix, Arizona. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Alzheimer’s Association or Operation Homefront.