Archive for the ‘Oklahoma’ Category

Robert D. LeBoeuf (PHD ’82)

Robert Dellino LeBoeuf died on April 2, 2019, at home in Broken Bow, Okla., at the age of 68 years. He passed away peacefully after a prolonged illness, in the loving arms of his wife of 19 years and 2 days. Bob was born the first son to Hermylee and Andrew LeBoeuf in Lake Charles, La., on March 12, 1951. He was Coonass to the core and called the bayous of Creole his home, where hunting and fishing were his passions. He was preceeded in death by his parents, Hermylee and Andrew LeBoeuf, his grandparents Oliver and Estelle LeBoeuf and Robert and Curry Doxey, and a dear uncle Dallas LeBoeuf. He is survived and forever cherished by his wife of 19 years, Mary, brother from another mother, Paul Hanks, dear cousins Robert J. LeBoeuf, Betty Walters, Cathy Nunez, and Leslie Griffith among others. He is also survived by a virtual army of friends who are too numerous to name.
Bob was a great man, a wonderful husband and true friend to many. He was described by one of his college professors as a man who could see around corners. So, it was obvious to even those who educated him, that he would go beyond the well trodden path. He surpassed what could be taught by text books and universities in his pursuits, not of profit, but of the truth. He had the quiet confidence that let those who would listen know that their life was about to change in very powerful and completely truthful ways. To those who choose to not listen, he would leave them in the dust of their own ignorant confusion. In his years in academics, he said that he felt that he was running against the wind. But in fact, Bob was the wind – easing you along when he had your back, but hurricane force if he was against you.
It seems the only thing that could possibly take Bob down would be cancer. He took a part in conquering it, by discovering a tumor suppressor gene. It seems that cancer retaliated first by trying to take his manhood with aggressive prostsate cancer. When it failed, cancer took the very soul of the man by taking his speech and his intellect. Then we watched these past few months, as he slowly passed like the devastating regression after the tsunami wave that was brain cancer. We can only hope and pray that his cancer research of the past may, like a buried land mine, hit the target in the end.
In lieu of floweres or gifts, please send donations St. Jude or Shriners Childrens Hospitals.
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Published by American Press on Apr. 14, 2019.

Joseph Anthony Voss (O.D. ’69)

Dr. Joseph A. Voss, Sr.

August 24, 1939-August 8, 2020

Dr. Joseph Anthony Voss Sr., resident of El Reno since 1969, died August 8, 2020, at his home north of El Reno with his wife, children, and grandchildren at his side. A Prayer Service was held Monday. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday (Aug. 11) at Sacred Heart Church in El Reno with The Rev. Lance Warren officiating. Burial will follow at the Kingfisher Cemetery under the direction of Huber-Benson Funeral Home, El Reno. Joe was born August 24, 1939, at the family home west of Okarche and was raised there on the farm. He attended school at Holy Trinity and graduated from Holy Trinity High School in 1957. After a few years working at Vieth Brothers in Kingfisher he returned to school and took his pre-optometry courses at El Reno Junior College and Central State University and received his Doctorate in Optometry from the University of Houston in 1969. He practiced optometry in El Reno from 1969 to 1993 when he moved his practice to Oklahoma City with offices in Shepherd Mall, and Heritage Park Mall. He later established Voss Vision Clinic and Optical in Midwest City from which he retired in 2009 after 40 years of 6 days a week practice. He also ran exams at the vision clinics at the Clinton Indian Hospital and Shawnee Indian Hospital. A man of faith, he was a member of Sacred Heart Church. His vision of purchasing property adjoining the church provided grounds for building St. Katharine Drexel Retirement Center at its current location. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus, Lion’s Club, and El Reno Investment Club. Joe was a humble, caring man, who loved to visit with his patients, family, and friends. Anyone who had the opportunity to visit with him would often hear him start a story with “To make a long story short”, which it never was. He was also a generous man willing to help anyone in need. On August 7, 1965, Joe began a 55 year loving commitment when he married Cecelia Reherman at Saints Peter and Paul Church in Kingfisher, Cecelia survives him. He is also survived by their children and their spouses, Elizabeth and Dr Kenneth Raskin of Caledonia, Wisc., Katherine and Joseph Curry of Atchison, Kan., Joseph Voss, Jr. and wife Noelle Craddock of Snohomish, Wash., and ET1 Michael Voss and Melanie Coffey-Voss of San Diego, Calif.; and grandchildren, Theodore Curry, Antonia Curry, Nathaniel Curry, Theresa Curry, Tatum Yule, McKenzie Yule, Zechariah Voss, David Raskin, Alexander Raskin and Adrian Estrada. His parents, Joseph Theodore and Anna Elizabeth (Mueggenborg) Voss, brothers, James Voss and Robert Voss, sister, Loretta Schaefer, and grandson, Jacob Edmund, preceded him in death. Memorials may be made to the Lord’s Harvest, and Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

Andrew C. Cox (M.S. ’62)

Andrew Chadwick “Chad” Cox, 83, died July 5, 2020 at his home in Norman, OK. He regretted that the Republican legislature would never hear a Death with Dignity bill and even passed a bill, signed by Governor Stitt, that would embarrass the family of anyone that chose to die early. Chadwick was born in 1936 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi to Virgil Munsey and Juelle Ikerd Cox. The family moved to Houston,Texas when he was very young. Exploring the nearby woods there led to his lifetime interest in nature. His curiosity about what made up life structures started him in chemistry. His love of swimming had him swim for his Reagan High School team. At the University of Texas, he obtained a BS degree in chemistry and his first related job was at M. D. Anderson Hospital in Houston. He attended a science seminar there where internationally famous scientists spoke about their work with DNA, inheritance and the relationship to proteins, an amalgam that was extremely significant. He immediately went into graduate school and earned a MS Degree in biochemistry at the University of Houston and after that, a Ph.D. Degree in biochemistry at Duke University. His doctoral work on the structure of high density lipoprotein sent him to a postdoctoral position working on blood coagulation. That work continued during his professorship at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. The coagulation work was expanded to include platelet function as platelets direct the formation of clots in the body. On returning from a sabbatical in 1980 he met his future wife, Patricia Ann Morris, who had joined the joint lab group. They married in 1984. He retired in July of 1998. While his vocation covered the interest in learning how life is put together, his avocations developed from the love of nature and being around water. He became a member of the Thunderbird Sailing Club (TSC) and a member of the Oklahoma Native Plant Society. Through his services to these groups he earned a lifetime membership in both. For several years he edited the Gaillardia, the ONPS newsletter, as well as serving in other capacities. Observing on multiple field trips the unfair advantage that invasive plants had over the natives, he founded along with two botanists the Oklahoma Invasive Plant Council, a citizens’ organization designed to compensate for the lack of effort by the state. He served in most positions for TSC, including teaching the summer sailing camps for kids for several years. During his active time with TSC, he had a 22 foot sailboat that sailed there and at other sites in Oklahoma. There were other sailing trips further away in rented bigger boats. Chadwick with his morals set in the style of Thomas Paine, became a lifelong Democrat. He was active in politics early on while at the university. The first was canvassing for his city councilor in his district in Oklahoma City. He has worked for and supported many more for city offices to the presidency. Many letters to the editor have been
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Kirk Tholen (M.B.A. ’01)

Kirk Tholen has been named Senior Vice President and Chief Strateguc Officer of ARLP (Alliance Resource Partners, L.P.) and President of Alliance Royal, LLC. More…