Bradley Keith Stanton

A proud member of the Choctaw Nation, Brad was born on July 25, 1951, to Arthur Clifton Stanton Jr. and Loeva Mae (London) Stanton and raised in McAlester, Oklahoma. He graduated from McAlester High School in 1969 as part of one of the largest graduating classes in Oklahoma at the time.

That fall, Brad enrolled at the University of Oklahoma, beginning a lifelong love affair with OU. In 1970, he played tuba in the OU marching band and became a founding member of OU’s Pi Kappa Phi chapter. That same year, at a Greek social event, he met Linda, a member of Kappa Delta. They married on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 1971, and Brad graduated from OU in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Brad approached his career with a willingness to try just about anything. As a Kroger store manager, he and Linda lived in Dallas, Sherman, Lawton, and Denison. After moving to Tulsa, he traded the grocery aisles for the open road, becoming a traveling dairy farm supply salesman. He continued in that role during their first years in Broken Arrow, where they would make their home for the next 35 years.

In the early 1990s, Brad moved into healthcare finance and discovered his calling in accounting. He worked as an auditor and later served as CFO for healthcare clinics in Tulsa. In 1995, he earned his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license and went on to audit tribal healthcare programs. He helped establish healthcare centers in rural Oklahoma communities, including Hulbert, Porter, and Hartshorne. Brad later worked as an independent CPA until retiring in 2019, although retirement never slowed him down. He devoted that same energy and determination to the many personal projects that kept him busy for the rest of his life.

Brad believed in giving back to his community. He served the Broken Arrow Civitans for many years in several roles, including treasurer, and helped establish the Broken Arrow Military History Museum, a fitting contribution for someone with a lifelong passion for history.

From 2010 to 2015, Brad and Linda had a cabin in Bug Tussle on Lake Eufaula, giving him a chance to reconnect with his McAlester roots. Some of his happiest days were spent at the lake and out on their boat. Brad never met a fixer-upper he didn’t like, whether it was a motorhome, a boat, or a broken appliance. He complained about every project from beginning to end, but everyone knew that was all a part of the fun.

Brad collected coins (lots and lots of coins) and, of course, OU memorabilia (lots and lots and lots of OU memorabilia). He loved traveling, casinos, and his annual pilgrimage to get cashew chicken from Springfield, Missouri. He always had a joke ready and enjoyed a good argument, happily taking the opposing side simply to “keep a conversation interesting.” Anyone who ever disagreed with him can rest assured that Brad remains convinced he was right.

Beneath his humor and strong opinions was a soft spot for flowers. Whether in Broken Arrow, at the cabin in Bug Tussle, or later in Norman, Brad and Linda always maintained a beautiful yard and an abundance of different plants. Brad took genuine pleasure in admiring the blooms, especially pink roses, and loved them all the more because he knew how much Linda did, too. Every so often, he would cut a rose from the yard and bring it inside in a vase for her to enjoy.

Brad was the kind of father who showed up, especially when it mattered most. Christopher and Jennifer both describe him the same way: he was their rock. He steadied them when life got shaky and guided them when they weren’t sure which way to go, and he always understood because he’d had his own ups and downs. As much as he loved being a dad, Brad had long hoped to be a grandfather, and when Ava finally arrived, she became one of the greatest joys of his life. To Ava, he was Pop-Pop, and he loved her more than words could say. The two shared plenty, including a sweet tooth that ran straight from Brad to Jennifer and on to Ava. In his honor, the family invites everyone to enjoy a cookie, or five.

When Linda retired, the two returned to Norman, where Brad’s OU story had begun. There, he reconnected with old friends from McAlester and OU and cheered on the Sooners in nearly every form, holding season tickets to football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, softball, and theater. He was also a proud donor to the OU theater scholarship fund. BOOMER SOONER!!!

Brad was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur Clifton Stanton Jr. and Loeva Mae (London) Stanton, and his brother, Bruce Clifton Stanton.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 54 years, Linda; his son, Christopher Stanton (Betty), of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; his daughter, Jennifer Morris (Derek), of Galgate, England; his granddaughter, Ava Morris; his sister, Gayla Howard, of Midwest City, Oklahoma; and many extended family members and dear friends.

Brad leaves behind a legacy of hard work, service, curiosity, humor, and unwavering loyalty to his family and the University of Oklahoma. He will be remembered for his generous spirit, his many passions, his strong opinions, and the countless ways he made life more interesting for those around him. He will be deeply missed.

Visitation will be held at Primrose Funeral Service, 3901 N Flood Ave., Norman, OK 73069, US, on October 30, 2026, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.