William Howard McLaughlin
1928-2020
William Howard McLaughlin, 92, passed away February 20, 2020 in Guthrie, OK at Willow Creek Retirement Center. He was born February 6, 1928 in Enid, OK to William James McLaughlin and Evelyn Rose Elrod McLaughlin and spent his early childhood in Lovell, OK. It was during this time that Bill and his sister became ill with dust pneumonia during the Famous Dust Bowl. The family then moved to Orlando, OK where he spent much of his life attending school and graduating. He met the love of his life there, JoAnn Doris Ring and they married at Orlando Methodist Church in 1947. They began a family and moved to Oklahoma City where Bill worked at Tinker Air Force Base building wooden propellers for several years. The family then moved back to Orlando and he found his longest profession as an oil field contractor, a profession he had for over 20 years and one that would allow him to spend quality time with his kids and grandkids. They all enjoyed riding with him in his truck over the rough country roads in a day when you didn’t wear seatbelts and would fly all over the cabin of the vehicle, sharing lunch in the oil field and chasing sand pipers. After retiring from the oil field, he worked for a few years at Ditch Witch in Perry. In 1989, Bill and JoAnn moved to the Grand Canyon to work at the resort gas station and Furnace Creek in Death Valley, which he enjoyed most, to work in the Gas Station making ice in the ice house. When they returned to Oklahoma they settled in Edmond and Bill began working at Sears Automotive then Walmart building bicycles. He then spent years caring for his wife, JoAnn until her passing in 2015.
He is preceded in death by his parents, wife JoAnn, daughter, Cynthia, sisters Dorothy and Lucy and brother Jim. Bill is survived by his son Dennis McLaughlin of Ridgecrest, CA and daughter Diana Pate and husband Jack of Edmond. Grandchildren Stephanie Carel and husband David, Sondra Reid and husband Michael, Jackie Allen, Greg Major and wife Jennifer, Sheenah Claus, Amanda Claus, Richard McLaughlin, Michael McLaughlin and wife Christine, Linda McLaughlin. Great grandchildren Mariah Milton and husband Logan, Clayton Carel, Dharma Reid, Eva Allen, Rena Major, Maci Bricker, Madison and William Kobus, Tannis, Anora, Sharlene, Alessandra McLaughlin
We would like to say a special thank you to the amazing staff of Willow Creek for their loving care of our father and grandfather. Their care and compassion during his time there and especially the last few days meant the world to our family.
Services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, February 28, 2020 at Orlando United Methodist Church with interment to follow at Zion Cemetery in Orlando, OK.