John Wesley Vaught
John Wesley Vaught passed away on March 9, 2017. He was born on the family farm near Sterling, Oklahoma on December 21, 1949 to parents, Mart Guy Vaught and Iris Dee Vaught. He grew up in Sterling and graduated from Sterling High School. While in college, he enlisted with the Army Reserve 95th Division. John married Nancy Sanders, the love of his life on March 17, 1973. He graduated from Cameron University in May 1973 and a short time later transferred directly into the Naval Reserve. He was accepted into the Aviation Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida and was ordered to begin active duty in April 1975. He was commissioned and completed his preliminary flight training that summer and was further ordered to advanced flight training in Corpus Christi, Texas where he received his Navy Wings in October 1976. John had an active flying career beginning in Cubi Point Philippines flying carrier on board delivery in support of the 7th Fleet carriers. For three years, he was a flight instructor qualified in all training phases as well as final check flight for Wings at the Advanced Training Command Corpus Christi, Texas. He flew anti-submarine patrol flights based out of Jacksonville, Florida and Glenview, Illinois for the next eight years to locations as varied as Spain, The Azores, Sicily, Bermuda, Japan, and Hawaii. John was the Deputy Director for Naval Reserve Officer Promotions in Washington, DC for two years, then returned to Glenview, Illinois where he retired from active service in 1995. John and Nancy welcomed their daughter, Jillian, in January of 1993. They returned to Oklahoma and established a home in Edmond where John operated an environmental inspection business and was a real estate associate with Keller Williams Realty.
John is survived by his wife, Nancy E. Vaught; daughter Jillian C. Vaught; brother Mart Vaught (Lynn Vaught) of Grand Junction, TN; sister Iolene Callahan (Bob Callahan) of Omaha, NE; nephew Greg Callahan (Detra Callahan) of Panama City Beach, FL; Mike Vaught (Gina Vaught) of Bartlesville, OK; and Ty Callahan (Shelley Callahan) of Omaha, NE; great niece Kacey Unthank and great nephews Blake Callahan, Montgomery Callahan, Marshall Callahan, Cody Vaught, and Evan Vaught.
Private family visitation will be Sunday, March 12th, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., with public visitation from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.. Public visitation will also be Monday and Tuesday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with family receiving friends Monday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Matthews Funeral Home, 601 S. Kelly Ave, Edmond, OK 73003.
Funeral services will be at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 15, 2017 at First United Methodist Church, 224 E. Noble Avenue, Guthrie, OK 73044.
Burial will follow at Sterling Cemetery, located at 19043 NE Cline Road Fletcher, 73541.
Memorial contributions may be made to:
Guthrie First United Methodist Church 224 E. Noble Avenue, PO Box 249 Guthrie, OK 73044 Office: 405-282-4297 http://guthriefirstumc.org Sterling United Methodist Church 102 S 2nd St, Sterling, OK 73567 Office: (580) 365-4404 https://www.facebook.com/SterlingOKUMC/
John – You were a great friend and brother to all your Navy Shipmates and we will miss you more than words can say. You made a difference in the lives of all those you touched and made the world a better place. May God bless you and hold you close.
Love, Dick and Sheryl Brooks
I’ve been doing business with John for 14 years, and I can’t say I’ve ever met a finer man. His professionalism was superior, and his knowledge has been keeping us Realtors out of trouble for many years. I appreciated his friendship and he will be greatly missed. My heart goes out to his family and you will be in my prayers. God bless you and yours John.
Lana Erwin
John, I can thank the Navy for bringing us all together. You and Nancy have been my friends for 40 years starting with great memories from the Philippines and Corpus. It has been an honor to not only be counted among your friends but your family as well. And rest well dear friend in knowing that your legacy will be carried on by Jill. She possesses your work ethic and so many wonderful qualities that you and Nancy instilled in her. But one of the things I will miss most about you, Johnny, is that great smile. Love you and miss you.
As cohorts in the wastewater industry, I got to talk with John regularly and I was most fortunate to share a ride with him every few months to board meetings about an hour away. It was always a treat despite the fact that I often had a headache from laughing so hard at his stories by the time we returned. It was probably enhanced by the fact that we shared similar work experiences, but nobody could tell a story like John.
The credibility of our board tripled the day John joined us. None of us had the breadth of knowledge that he did. He was an icon in the wastewater and real estate industries. I admired his passion for our industry and his commitment to always doing the right thing. He was truly one of a kind and for many of us, it went beyond work or associations. We absolutely loved him.
When John attended one of our family reunions I couldn’t help but make my way over to see him. He always had a story to tell and the expressions to go with it. I remember John and Nancy’s wedding, there couldn’t be a happier couple. And Jill was the light of their lives. One time he showed me the bunker he built behind his home to shield his family from storms. He didn’t just show me, he described every detail on how he built it. That was the passion in him. As I read other comments here I can see he was cherished in his professional life as much as in his family life. He crossed a lot of paths. I’m privileged he crossed mine. Peace be with you John.
The first time l ever stepped on a stage and played music in front of a crowd was with Johnny. When l look back at all of the stages that l have walked on and the folks that l have played for, it all comes back to that seed that was planted by my friend Johnny. That seed that was planted has taken me all over the World and all l can say is, ” Thank you, Johnny. Someday soon we’ll sit down by the river and pick a little music.”
Well John, we will miss you and the many stories shared over the years. From the trailer days in the Philippines to the last visit in the hospital, we could always bring out the laughs in each other. You were someone who understood and could relate to Billy Pilgrim and Captain Yossarian, enjoyed the Rolling Stones, and competitive softball and basketball. Professionally, your love of this country and the Navy was most admirable. Through you we had the good fortune of meeting your wife Nancy and daughter Jillian, both strong individuals. Yes, we have lost a good man but will not be forgotten. So long my friend until we meet again.
Love Pat and Tina Murphy
Johnny and I attending Sterling High School together during our sophomore year. I was a city boy living with my great aunt and uncle on their farm. I Johnny was my best friend during that year. Nancy and I rode the same school bus each day.
I saw John and Nancy during their tour in the Philippines. I was just passing through but got to spend some time with my friends from Sterling. Our paths did not cross again until recently. John had some real estate dealing with my wife and recognized her last name. Said he use to know a guy named Mark Hoffhines. My wife said, yeah, that’s my husband. Well I couldn’t wait to see John and Nancy again. We had a wonderful evening together…it was the same John I had always known.
John is one of the very few people I’ve known who was always true to himself and strived to do the right thing. I will miss you my friend.
My son and I first met John when we started as a Real Estate team in
2012. We always called him first to do our inspections. He was knowledgeable, and friendly
And a true professional.
Last year we sold and older property and the septic tank could not be located. He said he had a hunch of where the location might be. He dug several feet through Rock and shale and he located the tank. We did not ask him to do that he was ill at that time. But that is the kind of man that John was. He did the job right. Often on warm days he would bring cold water and give a bottle to everyone that was present.
We will miss his knowledge, and his warm smileWe are very saddened about his loss. We would like to send our thoughts and prayers to his wife, and daughter.
Connie and VJ Miller
The Miller Dream Team
I miss you Uncle Johnny. I think about you all the time. I always wanted to be like you and be around you. I will see you again.