Jon Thacker

On Thursday, January 3, 2013, Jon Thacker passed away. He was 89 years old. He was born on October 16, 1923, at home in Stringtown, Oklahoma, to Viva Lou Self Thacker and William D. Thacker. He and his wife of 64 years, Constance Mills Cooper, were married at Boston Avenue Methodist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma on August 28, 1948. Jon enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1943. He graduated from the University of Tulsa in 1950 with a degree in petroleum engineering. After graduation, Jon and Connie moved to Goldsmith, Texas, where he began his career in the oil business with Devonian Oil Company. Over the years, they lived in many locations throughout south Louisiana, but eventually returned to West Texas in 1977 when they moved to Midland with Gulf Oil. After 33 years in the oil business, Jon retired in 1983. He was the general manager of Gulf’s Southwest District production operations. Jon had a variety of interests, but he especially enjoyed playing golf. He was a member of Green Tree Country Club, and was particularly proud of having made a hole-in-one while playing a round of golf with his brother-in-law, as well as having made a birdie on No. 7 at Pebble Beach. Jon also loved to work in his garage workshop on all kinds of woodworking and metalworking projects, including restoring and repairing cars. He was very proud of his Ferraris and a 1971 Camaro that he was restoring. He was a licensed pilot and enjoyed flying his Cessna 172 airplane in earlier years. Jon was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, the Chevron Retirees’ Association, and he was also a very proud tribal member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

Jon is preceded in death by his parents, his sister Jeanne Wilson, and her husband Jesse, and his aunt and uncle, Imogene and Alva Roberts.

Those who remain to love and cherish his memory are his wife Connie of Midland, his daughter Jeannie Campbell of Midland and her husband Tom, his son Mark of San Ramon, California and his wife Lisa, his grandchildren Courtney Campbell Prescott of Midland, Jon Thacker of Chicago, Christina Kline and her husband Philip of Plymouth, Michigan, and Jennifer Thacker of North Hollywood, California, and his four great grandchildren, Catie, Denium, Skylar and Thomas, all of Midland, and his beloved dog Molly.

A private graveside service for Jon’s family will be followed by a memorial service for all who wish to join with his family to celebrate Jon’s long life. The memorial service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church on Tuesday, January 8, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. with the Reverend Steve Schorr presiding. A reception will follow in the Church’s parlor. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Stringtown Historical Foundation (P.O. Box 217, Stringtown, Oklahoma 74569), the Parkinson’s disease Foundation, the American Cancer Society, or any other charity of choice. Online condolences may be offered at www.ellisfunerals.com.