Damon was born near Booneville, AR to Floyd and Wanda (Reynolds) Wingfield on March 16, 1932. He spent his early years in Elk City, OK and later graduated from Midwest City High School. Damon attended OU where he played basketball and studied biology. At OU, he was part of ROTC and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army upon graduation. He also married the love of his life, Dorothy “Jenny” (Snellings) Wingfield in 1953; they were married for 64 years.
Damon and Jenny’s first military assignment to Aberdeen, MD turned into a 30-year career with the Army, where he focused on chemical weapons defense and hazardous waste management. He earned an MS in microbiology from OSU and lived in numerous states and abroad, including in Maryland, Oklahoma, Alabama, Arkansas, Washington, DC, Kansas, Virginia, New Mexico, Michigan, and in England. Damon also served a yearlong tour in Vietnam. He retired from the Army in 1984 with the rank of Colonel and moved to Edmond to be closer to family, including his three children. Once settled in Edmond, Damon began his second career with the Oklahoma Health Department where he worked for 10 years before retiring as Director of the Waste Management Division in 1995.
In retirement, Damon supported the establishment of a History Center at Midwest City High School, and he served on the Edmond Mayor’s Drainage Advisory Board. He devoted hours to genealogical research, amassing a trove of family history and connecting with distant relatives all over the country. He and Jenny enjoyed traveling around the US, including yearly trips to Colorado. They also visited Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and Brazil.
Highly personable, Damon would talk to anyone he encountered and was known for asking thoughtful questions and striking up engaging discussions. He relished conversations with loved ones over a cup of coffee and a plate of dessert and was an enthusiastic–and competitive–card player, enjoying a wide variety of games. He also loved watching college sports, especially when OU or OSU were playing.
Damon was deeply devoted to his family and friends, maintaining a close network of lifelong relationships. He was a lifelong Christian and member of First Baptist Church in Midwest City. Damon is preceded in death by his parents, Floyd and Wanda Wingfield; wife, Jenny Wingfield; and brother, Don Wingfield. He is survived by his sister, Karen Strickland of Stillwater; children Ed Wingfield and wife Cathy of Dillon, CO; Steve Wingfield of Edmond; Jane (Wingfield) Douglass and husband Steve of Edmond; four grandchildren: Andrew Wingfield, Chelsea Wingfield, Jillian Douglass, and Luke Douglass; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral Services for Damon will be held at 10:00am on Friday, August 26, at Touchmark at Coffee Creek in Edmond. He will be laid to rest at Ft. Sill National Cemetery during a private graveside service.
Visitation for Damon will be Thursday, August 25 from 2:00 - 6:00 PM at Baggerley Funeral Home, 930 S. Broadway Edmond, OK.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Damon’s memory to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, earmarked for Parkinson’s research.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.baggerley.com for the Wingfield family.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.17