John Starr Dameron

Funeral services for John Starr Dameron will be held on Friday, April 22, 2011 at 11:00 am at the Reed & Culver Chapel with Father Jeff Polasek officiating. Visitation will be Thursday from 1:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Reed-Culver Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Tahlequah City Cemetery with U. S. Army Honors.

John S. Dameron was born on October 13, 1921 in Vinita, Oklahoma, the son of John Turner and Jessie Belle (Starr) Dameron. After his graduation from high school, John was called to serve his country in WWII. He served under General Patton during WWII in the European Theatre of War, was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge, and earned many honors and citations including the Bronze Star, Silver Star, and several Battle Stars prior to his honorable discharge in 1945.

He attended school in Tulsa and college in Tahlequah, graduating from Northeastern State College in 1947 with his BS in Education. John continued his education in Colorado, Paris France, and Stuttgart, Germany, earning his Master’s Degree in Iowa. He was a life-long learner, and spoke several languages, including Spanish, German, French, and Cherokee. He was a long-time member of the Tahlequah Community Theatre, where he wrote, directed, and acted in many plays over the years. He is the author of many plays, including “The Golden Manhole Cover”.

John married the love of his life, Ivy Lys Lehman on May 3, 1947. This union was blessed with six children and 57 years of marriage. John was an educator and taught English, Speech, Drama, and Debate in many schools in Tulsa, including Woodrow Wilson High School, Montecasino High School, and Hulbert High School. He spent many years teaching at Lebanon High School, in Lebanon, Mo. before returning to his Oklahoma roots in Tahlequah. When he wasn’t teaching, John enjoyed art, acting, theater, being outdoors, being active, writing, and creating things. He painted in oils, and was known to use his own paintings as props for local play productions. He instilled the love of nature and literature in his children and taught them to enjoy reading, acting and the theatre, and nature. There is nothing John liked more than to act, direct, write, paint, and go for longs walks in the woods of Stick Ross Mountain.

John attended St. Brigid Catholic Church with his loving wife, Ivy Lys. The Lord called John home to his eternal rest on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 in Claremore, Oklahoma. He was eighty nine years old.

John is preceded in death by his parents, his beloved wife Ivy Lys in 2004, and his son John Starr at age six in 1956. He is survived by his daughters, Fleur May of Stafford, VA, Valerie Rakes of Powder Springs GA, Gigi Westfall of Claremore, OK, John Jr. of Anadarko, OK, and Paul of Tishomingo. His legacy lives on in his eleven grandchildren: Mike May, Kristy May-Tiernan, Katherine May, John Westfall, Jenna Westfall-Scott, Justin Rakes, Matthew Rakes, Joel Dameron, Danielle Dameron, Stephanie Dameron, Timothy Dameron, and fifteen great-grandchildren, as well as his brother Joseph Frances of San Diego, California, cousins, and a host of family and friends.