Arthur Lee Sheldon
1938 – 2023
Art Sheldon Obituary
“The Journey to Heaven is hard, but he has finished his final race.”
Arthur Lee Sheldon, 85, of Edmond Oklahoma was born to Louella Howard and Walter Sheldon of Okemos MI on March 15, 1938 and passed away on March 25th 2023 in Edmond OK. He married his lifelong best friend, Sandra Sommer Sheldon on June 17th 1963.
Art was a husband, father, electrical engineer, runner, professor and traveler. Art spent 4 years 2 months and 11 days in the Navy. His tours included the Caribbean, Mediterranean and the Atlantic on the USS Gyatt (DDG-1). After graduating with his Electrical Engineering degree from Michigan State University in 1964, he began his professional career at Harris Corporation in Palm Bay, Florida, and established his home with Sandy in West Melbourne, Florida where they raised their two sons. During his time at Harris, he earned his MSEE degree from the Florida Institute of Technology. The family spent a year in Augsburg Germany, working on a communications tower and touring Europe during his time with Harris. After 24 years at Harris, Art and Sandy moved to Edmond, OK to begin a new adventure at Oklahoma Christian College as a professor of Electrical Engineering where they spent 13 years educating and mentoring young men and women. Their time at OC was often spent in his office counseling students or feeding and entertaining them in their home on Thursday nights. Many of those students are still counted as close friends of the family.
Art’s running journey began when he was about 30. His races included too many 5k and 10k races to count, many Half Marathons and five Marathons, as well qualifying for the Boston and NY Marathons. His proudest racing moment was when he placed 1st in his age group at age 70 in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. He also placed 1st in his age group several times in the half marathons and other races. His favorite phrase was “if you can’t beat them, outlive them.”
After his time teaching at OC was completed, Art and Sandy continued their passion for RV traveling and spent time touring the country in their RV. Memorable trips were over the top of Lake Superior, walking across Mackinac Bridge, visiting Niagara Falls, trips to Canada, Alaska (on a cruise), many family reunions, trips to family homes, the Great Smoky Mountains, the Rocky Mountains, and Canadian Rockies. Art was able to visit all 50 states during his travels in the Navy and in the RV with Sandy as well as much of Europe during their trip to Germany.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Sandy, sons Allen (Lisa) Sheldon of Morgantown WV and Peter (Michelle) Sheldon of Edmond OK, grandchildren Jennifer Navorska, Riley Sheldon, Kayla Sheldon and Kimberly Sheldon, and great granddaughter Lilliana Navorska, as well as many nieces, nephews, and extended family. Art was the third of four children who survive him: sister, Ruth Rood of Marietta GA, brother Howard Sheldon of LaVista NE and sister Margie LaMothe of Michigan City IN. He was predeceased by mother, Louella, father, Walter, step mother Mary Rood Sheldon, step sister Mary Jo Robertson, step brothers Dave Rood and Bob Rood.
The family requests that memorials may be sent to the Oklahoma Christian University General Scholarship fund in lieu of flowers give.oc.edu/sheldon.
Memorial services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 1, 2023 at Memorial Road Church of Christ, 2221 E Memorial Rd, Edmond, OK 73013.
Live streaming available by following this link: https://youtube.com/live/G5w-Pa9u2Rg?feature=share
Art was a kind, generous and exceptional uncle. His humor and easy going spirit will always be an example to me of how to move through this sometimes challenging world. Rest easy, Art, you’ve won the most important race.
We sure do love Art & Sandy! We were blessed to be enjoy dinner at their camper on Lake Lewisville and loved to play games! Prayers and Hugs.. love Jim & Nancy Harlan
Our friend and quiet mentor, Art Sheldon passed on Sunday. We worshipped with him and his family for several years in Melbourne, FL. He and wife Sandy took us under their wings when my marriage to Kathy ran a-ground and almost broke apart. Art and Sandy simply invited us over to their home one Sunday for a buttermilk waffle lunch. That invitation turned into a recurring invite that lasted about a year and a half and slowly tapered off to an occasional visit until they moved to Oklahoma a couple years later.
We didn’t know it at the time but those waffle lunches, several cups of coffee and friendly Sunday afternoon conversations at their kitchen table were subtly changing Kathy and I from the inside out. We saw a modest man and woman with two young almost teenage boys treat each other with tenderness, compassion, loving commitment and a healthy dose of humor.
Kathy was on board immediately but I, I had so much to unlearn and still had a long road ahead of me.
The lessons that Art and Sandy taught us were not lectures but a listening ear, a gentle word and friendship.
Those were gifts more valuable than gold, frankincense and myrrh.
We felt the weight of them forty years ago and we are forever grateful for theOur friend and quiet mentor, Art Sheldon passed on Sunday. We worshipped with him and his family for several years in Melbourne, FL. He and wife Sandy took us under their wings when my marriage to Kathy ran a-ground and almost broke apart. Art and Sandy simply invited us over to their home one Sunday for a buttermilk pancake lunch. That invitation turned into a recurring invite that lasted about a year and a half and slowly tapered off to an occasional visit until they moved to Oklahoma a couple years later.
We didn’t know it at the time but those pancake lunches, several cups of coffee and friendly Sunday afternoon conversations at their kitchen table were subtly changing Kathy and I from the inside out. We saw a modest man and woman with two young almost teenage boys treat each other with tenderness, compassion, loving commitment and a healthy dose of humor.
Kathy was on board immediately but I, I had so much to unlearn and still had a long road ahead of me.
The lessons that Art and Sandy taught us were not lectures but a listening ear, a gentle word and friendship.
Those were gifts more valuable than gold, frankincense and myrrh.
We felt the weight of them forty years ago and we are forever grateful for the richness they impart to our lives today.