Larry “Jack” Avey
Larry “Jack” Avey, 84 of Tonkawa, OK passed gently away Sunday September 10, 2023, at his home in Ralston, OK. He was born on February13, 1939 in Tonkawa, OK to William Cleveland and Mary Evalina (Blankenship) Avey, the last of twelve Avey children. Jack grew up in Tonkawa and went to Tonkawa Public Schools, proudly graduating from Tonkawa High School with the Class of 1957.He was the President of the local FFA chapter his Senior year. He also attended Northern Oklahoma College for a short time.
Shortly after graduation, he met the love of his life LaVeta “JoAnn” James and they were married on January 26, 1958 at the Tonkawa First Christian Church. They celebrated 55 years and eleven months of marriage every day until her passing. On March 16, 1959 they welcomed their only child, a daughter Kandy Kay. They lived most of their married life in Tonkawa until purchasing a farm in Ralston where their daughter lived and moved there after his retirement.
Jack worked as a welder/ pipefitter in his younger years and then joined the electrical workers apprenticeship program and became an electrician. He worked for several local shops in Ponca City before hiring on at Conoco. He retired from Conoco in 2004 and was a very busy retiree taking care of multiple properties and helping with daughter projects. He was a very devoted son, brother, husband, father and papa. He worked very hard and worked equally as hard at making sure his family was taken care of and that they were happy.
Jack is survived by his only child Kandy Kay Jump and her husband Bill of Ralston, OK; his sister Betty Edwards and husband Jimmy of Boise, ID; his grandchildren Derrick Fagg of Ponca City and Deidre’ Wehunt and her husband Gary of Fargo, ND; his great grandchildren Landyn Weaver, Leighton Childers, Gage Wehunt and Gentry Fagg, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his parents, his loving wife JoAnn, and siblings brothers Allen Dean, James, Jesse, Virgil, Clifford, Eugene, and Widge and sisters Mary Ethel, Anne, and Vurble Jane.
Funeral services will be held Saturday September 16th at 2:00 PM at Trout Funeral Home Chapel in Tonkawa, OK. Interment will follow at Tonkawa I.O.O.F. Cemetery. Arrangements are under direction of Trout Funeral Home, Tonkawa, OK. Pallbearers will be Glen Avey, Ian Avey Wayne Abbott, Bradley Abbott, Jack Klinger and Heath Hale. Honorary Pallbearers will be Derrick Fagg, Gary Wehunt II, Landyn Weaver, Leighton Childers, and Gage Wehunt. Memorials may be made to St. Jude’s for cancer research for children, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or a charity of your choice.