C. Kelly Banwart

Christopher Kelly Banwart

1974 – 2023

Christopher “Kelly” Banwart came into this world on December 24, 1974, in Norman, Ok. He gained his wings at his home in Langston, OK on July 20, 2023. Kelly is the only child of Robert and Carrol (Carrie) Banwart.

He attended Hitchcock Elementary and later chose to become a Whippet at Okeene High School. He enjoyed debate, theater and playing football. Kelly spent most of his college career at Southwestern Oklahoma State University where he majored in Secondary Education. Kelly decided to forgo his last 2 years of college and applied for the Oklahoma Capitol Patrol. During his tenure there, he assisted with the May 1999 tornado clean up and recovery. He also continued his passion for education by becoming a CLEET Instructor, teaching DUI roadside testing, report writing and other basic law enforcement classes. In 2004, Kelly transitioned to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and was assigned to the Oklahoma City Metro. During Kelly’s time in the “METRO” he was awarded the Matt Evans Award for the most collisions investigated for 2005-2006. In 2006, Kelly was then transferred to Blain County, assigned to Troop J of Enid where he led the troop in DUI arrests in two different years. He left the patrol in 2013.

His son, Brandon, was born in 2004, daughter, Dani, in 2007 and his twin sons, Jasen and Jaxen were born in 2013. Kelly was given legal custody of all 4 children and continued to raise them until his death.

In 2016, Kelly was hired at Langston Police Department where he worked up to the position of Chief of Police. He took pride in being part of a department that he helped rebuild and cherished the friendships he made in Langston. He stepped away from Law Enforcement in December of 2019.

Kelly was a self-proclaimed nerd, a lifelong Star Wars fan and a history fanatic, specializing in the Civil War, WWII and the Vietnam War. He always claimed that his Vietnam Veteran father was his biggest hero.

In 2021, he met and fell in love with “his greatest love”, Toni. He hoped to beat cancer so he could marry and grow old with her, annoying her for the rest of their lives. He always said his greatest regret was not meeting her sooner in life.

Kelly would do anything for his friends and family, often calling himself a “civil servant”. His door was open to his children’s friends that needed a place to stay and an escape from the day-to-day life issues.

He was ordained to marry his friend Ashley to her husband, Ricky. Kelly also enjoyed going to large movie theaters, trying new cuisine often encouraged by Toni and he even got his SCUBA certification so he could experience it at least once. Kelly loved spending time with Toni and his children, including Toni’s two children he called his bonus kids. Kelly said that some of the best times in his life were when he wore the brown uniform of the OHP and the last few years with Toni by his side.

Kelly is survived by his father Robert of Perkins, his son Brandon and fiancé Courtney of Oklahoma City, his daughter Dani, and his twin sons Jasen and Jaxen of the home, his girlfriend Toni and her children Emsley and Elliot of Edmond, his twin’s maternal grandparents Ricky and Tracy Nava of Morrison and many other family members and friends. Kelly is preceded in death by his paternal and maternal grandparents and his mother Carrie.

In lieu of flowers, Kelly requests donations be made to assist his children.

Services will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 27, 2023 in the Matthews Funeral Home Chapel.

We will be live streaming this service in an effort to accommodate those people that wish to attend but are not able to.  To watch the service CLICK HERE to go to our YouTube page. Click on ‘Videos’, then ‘Live Streams’.