Leroy Vernon Hatfield

Leroy V. Hatfield was born to Carl and Lucy Hatfield on September 23, 1924, in Sharon Springs, Kansas. He was received home by our Lord on December 18, 2013. Upon high school graduation from Northeast High School in Oklahoma City, he entered the Merchant Marines for three years in WWII during which time he rose to the rank of Ensign. After returning from the service, he went to work for Riss Freight Lines in Oklahoma City, Kansas City and Dallas where he was the Assistant Controller.

August 24, 1948, he married the love of his life and devoted companion for 65 years, Golda Irene Huff. In 1949 and 1951, he and Golda were blessed with two sons, David and Steve, which made the decision easy….no more children. From 1953 to 1959, Leroy was in Accounting for AAA Root Beer, Oklahoma City, where his sons’ baseball teams spent quality time quenching their thirst after hard fought victorious games. In 1959, he and others ventured into the world of self-employment and formed Refrigerated Dispensers, a manufacturing company supplying fountain drink machines to restaurants.

From 1962 to 1983, he spent many memorable experiences employed by Utility Equipment Company, Oklahoma City, where he served as the Personnel Manager and Supervisor for the manufacturing of Skyjacker and other related hydraulic equipment sold to Utility and Co-Op companies through the nation. In the fall of 1983, he retired and began consulting various local businesses through SCORE.

Up until 1976, Leroy enjoyed a relatively healthy life; however, in August, he suffered a massive heart attack. The following January he underwent the first of two open heart bypass surgeries with the second in January 1998. On Mother’s Day in 2006, Leroy gave Mom the perfect gift by entering the hospital to have a pacemaker implanted.

Dad was as ardent golf enthusiast from age four until age 86. He was most proud of his accomplishments in the Senior Golf Association where he was able to represent Oklahoma twice in the Senior Olympics in Tucson and Orlando and the numerous occasions he was able to shoot his age. He loved all card games, most board games and especially enjoyed a competitive game of lawn darts, or ping pong.

Leroy was an active member of the Community of Christ Church for 64 years and served as an ordained minister for 59 years. His church family will remember him most for his singing, humor, Sunday school teaching, youth ministering, and coaching and playing softball. He also had the uncanny ability to make sense of and earn money at the State Fair of Oklahoma with the Church food booth for 40 years until 1994.

In July of 2011, Leroy and Golda sold “the old homestead” of 57 years and moved to their new home at Copper Lake Estates in Edmond, Oklahoma.

The family wishes to express our heartfelt appreciation for the love and generosity extended to Leroy and Golda from their friends and staff at Copper Lake Estates and all the support personnel with Crossroads Hospice.

Leroy is survived by his wife, Golda; two sons, David and wife Denise of Edmond, Oklahoma and Steve and wife Joy of Tulsa, Oklahoma; four grandchildren, Paul Hatfield and wife Cori of Ft. Worth, Texas, Jason Hatfield and wife Kyra of Mustang, Oklahoma, Jill Allen and husband Jonathan of Independence, Missouri, Tiffany Mather and husband Bobby of Edmond, Oklahoma. He is also survived by six great grandchildren, Aubrey and Jared Hatfield of Ft. Worth, Texas, Dayton and Allie Mather of Edmond, Oklahoma, Skylee and Saizlee Hatfield of Mustang Oklahoma; brother James Hatfield of Harrah, Oklahoma; sister Wanda Anderson of Union City, California as well as many nephews and nieces who respected him and will miss his wise advice, countless church family and friends.

Contributions can be made in his name to Community of Christ at www.cofchrist.org to Abolish Poverty an End Suffering or to the Heart Association.

A memorial service will be 10 a.m., Saturday, January 11, 2014, at the Heartland branch of the Community of Christ, 921 S.W. 70th Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.