Sydney John Oetker

Sydney John Oetker passed away at the "young" age of 61, surrounded by his family on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at Texoma Medical Center after a short 3 month battle with esophageal cancer.

Family night and rosary will start at 6:30pm on Friday, January 21, 2011 at Bratcher Funeral Home, 401 W. Woodard St., Denison, TX 75020. The funeral will be held at 10:00am on Saturday, January 22,2011 at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 314 N. Rusk, Denison, TX 75020. There will be a Military Honor Guard ceremony at Cedarlawn Memorial Park, 5805 Texoma Parkway, Sherman, TX 75090 following the church services.

Pallbearers will be David Anderson, Mike Brandon, Glenn Briggs, Kent Newtown, Clarence VonBergen and Dr. Guy Willis.

Syd was born on March 11, 1949 in St. Charles, MO to Lester and Mary Oetker. His father was in the Air Force which took the family many places around the world including Alaska, Wyoming and Germany. He graduated from South High in Omaha, NE in 1968 and then went to the University of Nebraska at Omaha where he entered the ROTC officer program. After graduating with a business degree as a second lieutenant, he entered the Air Force. He was a Combat Missile Launch Officer and was stationed in Grand Forks, ND for four years. After he got out of the Air Force, he moved to TX and worked for Texas Instruments for the next 20 years in Sherman, Denison and Plano as a Systems Engineer. After retiring from TI, he joined Perot Systems in Plano as a Software Quality Engineer. He then joined CDI as an IT Solutions Director in Plano. Syd was respected and loved by his colleagues for his strong work ethics, his vast knowledge base and his sporting sense of humor.

In July of 1971, Syd married Jacquelynn Kloke in Omaha, NE. They lived in Denison and had 3 children Jill (Chad Smith, McKinney, TX), Jeremy (Heather Orr, Denison, TX) and Sara (Shane Lekwa, Boulder, CO). Syd loved to travel and took his family to many places in the US and Europe. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and enjoyed living by Lake Texoma. He also loved to collect and restore antique and "muscle" cars with his son Jeremy. He was a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Denison.

Syd is survived by his wife Jacquelynn and his children; his brother Leslie and Carol Oetker and their sons Kenneth and Daniel and their families all from Utah. He was preceded in death by his father and mother Lester and Mary Oetker.

The family asks that any remembrances be sent to Home Hospice of Grayson County, 505 W. Center St., Sherman, TX 75090 in Syd's honor.

Arrangements are entrusted to the care and direction of Bratcher Funeral Home, 401 W. Woodard Street, Denison, Texas 75020. For further information, please call the funeral home at 903) 465–2323, or for an online obituary, directions or to leave a condolence, please go to www.bratcherfuneralhome.com.