Helen Ouida Whittle

It is with a heavy heart that the family of Helen Oudia Whittle shares the news of her passing on Saturday August 24th, 2024, surrounded by her family and dogs, at the age of 77, after a brief battle with cancer. Helen was born in Lubbock, TX to Lois and J.L. Hampton on August 28th, 1946. She was the eldest of three children, being survived by her youngest sibling, Jimmy Hampton and his wife Brenda. She is also survived by her daughter Deanna Whittle, son Chad Whittle, granddaughter Daylan Whittle-Collinsworth and her husband Cade Collinsworth and countless nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Helen is preceded in death by her sister Karmen Gray, husband Larry Whittle and son Brad Whittle.

Helen met the man of her dreams, Larry Whittle, shortly after high school while cruising the drag in Pampa, TX. It was love at first sight. They were engaged three days later. Married three months later and had three children three years after that. They were married for 51 years together. Helen devoted her life to her children. She made sure they were involved in sports, swimming lessons and library time. I’m not sure how she did it with her husband traveling most of the time with his job. As the children got older Helen worked at a check processing company until she retired to help take care of Daylan after Deanna’s car wreck when Daylan was one year old.

Helen was a lover of children and animals. She helped raise generations of children in her neighborhood, all of the kids calling her Grandma Helen. She would drive them to school, take them to the barn and library or they would come over to color or play cards. Helen was known to rescue animals from time to time, from a three-legged cat to orphaned puppies.

Her most joyful experience in life was her granddaughter, Daylan. They spent many hours together at the barn and going on shopping sprees. Daylan and her grandma were thick as thieves, spending summers together and every day after school as Daylan grew up. They would make their rounds to various friends to ride horses, to the barn to clean stalls, many horse shows and riding lessons. Helen always had a bag of carrots in her car so she and Daylan could feed random horses along the roadside.

Helen volunteered at Yukon Public Schools through the Helping Hands program for 15 years. She mainly performed vision and hearing screenings on grade school kids, once again showing her love of children.

In her later years she continued to be a caregiver to her sons until she no longer could physically do it. Helen was a natural caregiver. She took care of many people, from providing Christmas gifts for kids when their parents couldn’t afford it, to buying dresses for nieces as a special treat. Helen was a feeder. If you came to the house she fed you, even if you were not hungry. She always had banana bread ready to eat.

We cherish these beautiful memories and life she lived. We are very thankful for the years we had with her. She will be deeply missed by family and friends.

Family will greet family and friends Friday evening at Hahn-Cook/Street & Draper Funeral Home from 4pm-7pm on August 30th. A celebration of life will be held at 10:00 am, Saturday August 31st, 2024 at Hahn-Cook Street & Draper Funeral Home, 6600 Broadway Extension, Oklahoma City, OK 73116. Interment will follow the service in the family plot at Rose Hill Burial Park. Charitable donations may be made to Pets and People in Yukon OK, or the Oklahoma Humane Society in Helen’s honor.