Obituary for Thurman Ray Wall
Thurman Ray Wall of Altus passed away after a seven year battle with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis at his home Sunday, January 20, 2013.
He was born February 20, 1937 to Johnnie Lee (Jackson) and Thurman Wall in Eufaula, Oklahoma. Ray served in the United States Navy and was stationed in San Diego.
Ray married Arvella Lewelling at Roosevelt, Oklahoma. He began his career as an electrician apprentice in his teen years. After working for several years as a veterinarian technician for Dr. H.M. Haines, he resumed his career as an electrician at Young Electric of Oklahoma, serving as Vice President. He was referred to by his co-workers as “the best electrician in Oklahoma.†He supervised jobs at Altus Air Force Base, Fort Sill, and numerous other jobs in Oklahoma, Texas, and Atlanta Georgia. He worked on hospitals, airports, schools, prisons, and others too numerous to mention. He never turned down a service call no matter the hour or size of the task.
The only thing Ray did better than working as an electrician was being a father and grandfather. His children, Vanisa, Leah, Lora Lea, and Jason and his granddaughter Alyssa, depended on him to fix everything from toys to cars. Ray showed his excellent, artistic ability by designing and constructing sets for Off The Wall Dance Productions. He built everything from a ’55 pink Cadillac to four mini yellow taxis. He was also known as the “Popcorn Man†after medical retirement. Many a young dancer looked forward to this treat after their dance classes.
His children, nieces, nephews, grandchild and step-grandchildren, remember Ray teaching them to do the stroll down the hallway, throwing them in the pool, and all sorts of other rough-housing. After his granddaughter Alyssa came along his favorite past time was being with her. They took walks, played games, and just enjoyed each other. She, “Little D†as he liked to call her, was the apple of his eye and he was her Papa and friend.
Ray is survived by his wife, Arvella of the home, daughters Vanisa and husband Eddie Johns and their daughter Jordan Johns Benson, Leah Wall, Lora Lea and husband Dean Pickering, son Jason Wall, and granddaughter, Alyssa Pickering, all of Altus, sister, Susie Louise McNeil of Vici, half-sister, Joan Towrey of Waynesville, North Carolina, half-brothers James Kilgore of Blair, and Darrell Kilgore of Vici.
Funeral services have been scheduled for 1:00 pm Thursday, January 24, 2013 at the First United Methodist Church with Rev. David Player officiating. Interment will follow in the Navajoe Cemetery under the direction of Lowell-Tims Funeral Home.
The family will receive guests from 5:00 until 6:30 pm on Wednesday evening at Lowell-Tims. On-line tributes can also be made to the family at www.lowell-tims.com The family request that memorials can be made in Ray Wall's name through pulmonaryfibrosis.org
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He was born February 20, 1937 to Johnnie Lee (Jackson) and Thurman Wall in Eufaula, Oklahoma. Ray served in the United States Navy and was stationed in San Diego.
Ray married Arvella Lewelling at Roosevelt, Oklahoma. He began his career as an electrician apprentice in his teen years. After working for several years as a veterinarian technician for Dr. H.M. Haines, he resumed his career as an electrician at Young Electric of Oklahoma, serving as Vice President. He was referred to by his co-workers as “the best electrician in Oklahoma.†He supervised jobs at Altus Air Force Base, Fort Sill, and numerous other jobs in Oklahoma, Texas, and Atlanta Georgia. He worked on hospitals, airports, schools, prisons, and others too numerous to mention. He never turned down a service call no matter the hour or size of the task.
The only thing Ray did better than working as an electrician was being a father and grandfather. His children, Vanisa, Leah, Lora Lea, and Jason and his granddaughter Alyssa, depended on him to fix everything from toys to cars. Ray showed his excellent, artistic ability by designing and constructing sets for Off The Wall Dance Productions. He built everything from a ’55 pink Cadillac to four mini yellow taxis. He was also known as the “Popcorn Man†after medical retirement. Many a young dancer looked forward to this treat after their dance classes.
His children, nieces, nephews, grandchild and step-grandchildren, remember Ray teaching them to do the stroll down the hallway, throwing them in the pool, and all sorts of other rough-housing. After his granddaughter Alyssa came along his favorite past time was being with her. They took walks, played games, and just enjoyed each other. She, “Little D†as he liked to call her, was the apple of his eye and he was her Papa and friend.
Ray is survived by his wife, Arvella of the home, daughters Vanisa and husband Eddie Johns and their daughter Jordan Johns Benson, Leah Wall, Lora Lea and husband Dean Pickering, son Jason Wall, and granddaughter, Alyssa Pickering, all of Altus, sister, Susie Louise McNeil of Vici, half-sister, Joan Towrey of Waynesville, North Carolina, half-brothers James Kilgore of Blair, and Darrell Kilgore of Vici.
Funeral services have been scheduled for 1:00 pm Thursday, January 24, 2013 at the First United Methodist Church with Rev. David Player officiating. Interment will follow in the Navajoe Cemetery under the direction of Lowell-Tims Funeral Home.
The family will receive guests from 5:00 until 6:30 pm on Wednesday evening at Lowell-Tims. On-line tributes can also be made to the family at www.lowell-tims.com The family request that memorials can be made in Ray Wall's name through pulmonaryfibrosis.org
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