Larry Allen Willis

Larry Allen Willis was born June 27, 1951 at St. Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to W.W. and Patsy Ruth (Hall) Willis. Larry passed into Heaven on Monday, April 28th just after 4PM, at Integris Hospice House in Oklahoma City. He was 73 years old. Larry was raised in Bethany, Oklahoma, and attended Bethany Public schools, graduating High School in 1969. Larry was preceded in death by his parents; his mother, Patsy Ruth, (Hall) Willis, and his father, W.W. Willis; two sisters, Wynoma Dean “Jean” (Challis) Powell, Marcia Annette (Willis) Holt; and one brother, William Thane (Bill) Challis. Also, two nephews, and two nieces. Larry is survived by his wife of the home, Tina, one step daughter, Fara Walker-Robinson, one stepson, Heath Anderson, (Alison), and five shared grandchildren, Miah, Asher, Cooper, Deacon, and Evelyn, who knew and loved him as “Papa”. Larry’s niece, Shanna (Challis) Brock. Larry’s nephews, Robert Challis, (Cathy), their daughters, Kerry and Rose; Patrick Challis (Jeanne), and family, Amanda, Brandon, Tyler, Otis, Braedon, Justin, Logan and stepsons Aaron and Derrick.Larry’s niece, Merridith York, of Dallas, TX, her children, Tana, Kiley, Dylan, and Larry’s nephew, Christopher Pucci (Tracey) of Washington State; his children, Olivia and Adison, and two stepsons. His Father-in-law Mel Taggart, 4 brothers-in-law, four sisters-in-law, Tina’s nieces and nephews, as well as many cousins and friends. Around the age of three years, Larry started watching Liberace on TV. He would sit by the TV until his mom would turn Liberace’s program on. Larry has remarked about the candelabra on the piano, but the way Liberace played fascinated him. Sometime after that, Larry started taking piano lessons. He became well accomplished, and in High School, would play piano accompaniment at the school for concerts. In High School, Larry had a motor bike, and one day, the day before he was supposed to play piano at school, as he left a driveway, he was hit by a car, breaking his leg. The newspaper carried a story about him because he propped his leg on a chair and accompanied the program with his leg in a cast! During high school and after graduation, Larry played piano for a band he was part of, THE SWEETWATER MILLING COMPANY. The band members would load his old, wooden, upright piano in a pick-up and haul it wherever they needed to play. One fateful day, of course, it rained on his piano, ruining it. Larry attended first, the University of Central Oklahoma, and later, the University of Oklahoma, where he earned his Master of Science degree graduating in 1989, majoring in Geophysics. Larry worked for several Oil and Gas companies during his career, including in Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. In April 2002, he and his wife, Tina, were married in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It has been said that “sailing is hours of boredom punctuated by moments of terror”- Still, the summer after they were married, Larry and Tina took sailing lessons at Lake Hefner. They went on to purchase and sail two boats in the following years, “Zia” and “Chili Pepper”. Larry was quite proud of these boats, having rebuilt both to some degree. When the wind is a good one, sailing is great fun, (for about 10 minutes). Larry retired from his last working position at Devon Energy where he served as a Senior Geophysical Advisor until his retirement in 2017, due to his third diagnosis of lymphoma. Larry would be diagnosed two more times, the last in February 2025. He was surrounded and lifted up in prayer each time, by his family, church family, and friends. Shortly before he became sick in February, 2025, Larry softly commented, “I’ve changed”. When Tina asked, “what do you mean”; He said again, I’ve changed”. “Do you mean that you are changed because of Jesus, and you are saved?” Larry replied, “Yes, that’s right”. During Hospice care, Tina was talking with one of Larry’s nurses. She told his nurse, “Larry knows and loves Jesus, so I know he is saved.” Larry woke out of his dozing, and asked, “what”? Tina repeated, “I said that we know that you are saved, that you love and know Jesus.” Larry nodded and said, “yes”, and dozed off again. Larry, I love you; we love you. Thank you for doing your life with us.