Paul Stanford

Funeral services for Paul Keith Stanford will be 10:00am, Friday, October 6, 2023 in the Chapel of Emmanuel Baptist Enid with Rev. Wade Burleson officiating. Burial will be 2:00pm Friday in Alva Municipal Cemetery under the direction of Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home and Crematory.

Paul Keith Stanford, 87, died September 29, 2023 at Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City, OK. He was born February 11, 1936 in Beaver, OK to Alpha Lafayette (A.L.) and Anna May (Ingle) Stanford during the Dust Bowl. He grew up with his older sister, Wanda May and younger brother, Ennis Devon. While he was young, he lived at Lambert and Alva, OK. He went to school at Lambert, Farry, and Capron.

Paul met the love of his life, Peggy Ann Roberts, when he started 6th grade at Capron. They graduated from eighth grade together, began dating in high school, graduated from high school together in 1954, were married their sophomore year at Northwestern State College, Alva, OK in 1955, and graduated from college together in 1958. Paul married Peggy on December 18, 1955 at Capron, OK. They lived at Alva, Capron, Udall, KS, Sylvan Grove, KS, Jefferson, Goodwell, Gage, Red Rock, Lahoma, and Enid; where they were currently living. They were married for 67 years. Their love and marriage has been an example to their family and others. They had four daughters: Debra (Debby) May, Janice Leah, Sherry Diane, and Dana Marie.

Paul graduated college with a B.S. Degree in Natural Science. His teaching career was at Udall and Vesper, KS, Jefferson, Goodwell, Gage, Red Rock, and Lahoma, OK. He taught science, drivers’ education, leathercraft, coached, was a class sponsor, and a high school principal. He took summer classes at Wichita, KS; Gunnison, CO; Stillwater, OK; and Berkeley, CA. He also participated in an aerospace workshop and was flown to Florida to watch Apollo XV launched. Paul was selected as Teacher of the Year at Lahoma in 1984. After 32 years of teaching and coaching, Paul retired in 1990. A year later he taught science part time at Ames, OK. Paul taught all four of his girls.

Paul worked hard to provide for his family, even outside of his work at the schools. He worked at Munson’s Hatchery and at the Alva Rialto Theater taking tickets, besides working at the Runnymede Hotel, which his folks owned, during his high school summers. During college, he worked as custodian at the college and at Ed’s Market in Alva. While teaching in Kansas he worked at a filling station. During the summers at Gage, he worked at the Gage elevator. Paul combined wheat for his sister and brother-in-law in Caldwell, KS for 20 years. He, also, worked at the schools during the summers. He was a night watchman at the Continental Tower in Enid on weekends. After retiring, he worked part time at the Golden Oaks Retirement Center golf course for 15 years.

Paul was always interested in sports, especially baseball and basketball. He played several summers on the Alva traveling baseball team when he was about junior high age. He played sports in school too. Paul played on a semi-pro baseball team for three years, when he was teaching in Kansas. He played against Satchel Paige. His Goodwell boys’ basketball team won the State Tournament in 1971. And, the boys’ volleyball team was state runner-up three years in a row. He was selected by the basketball coaches of Oklahoma to coach the state small west team in the All-State Basketball Game in 1986. He was a member of the Oklahoma Coaches Association throughout his coaching career and afterward.

He would get the girls up for school and for church on Sunday mornings, while listening to music. He would help fix meals and whatever needed to be done at home since Peggy taught, too. After working all day and ballgames at night, he would be sitting in his chair reading a textbook for the next day or going over game stats. He would have a Pepsi with peanuts in it and watch the news. And, he was always joking with people.

Paul and Peggy took the girls on car trips in the United States and the two of them took bus trips and cruises. He raised gardens for the family meals. Paul would go fishing over the years with his dad, brother, daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren. He could often be found watching sports or reading western books. He liked to tool leather belts, purses, clocks, and a briefcase for family. In later years he developed an enjoyment for building model airplanes. Paul donated over 50 gallons of platelets at the Oklahoma Blood Institute. He would always take the family to church on Sunday mornings. Some years he was Sunday School Superintendent. He and Peggy had been members of Emmanuel Baptist Church since 1981.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents, sister and brother-in-law, Wanda and Willis Kerr, brother, Ennis, grandparents, many aunts and uncles, also, preceded by his in-laws, Ralph and Margaret (Cox) Roberts, and Peggy’s brothers/spouses and sisters/spouses.

Those still living with his memory are his wife, Peggy, their four daughters and sons-in-law: Debby and Jake Orcutt, Janice and Jack Adcock, Sherry and Larry Hesler, and Dana and Juan Martinez. Eight grandchildren and spouses: Joe and Sarah Orcutt, Josh Orcutt and fiancé May Moss, Jessica and Martin Updike, Jamie Adcock, Aaron and Lauren Hesler, Jenna Adcock, John Martinez, and James Martinez. Five great-grandchildren: Daniel and Rebekah Orcutt, and Kitana, Brooks, and Lydia Updike. Also, cousins, sister-in-law, nieces, nephews, friends, and former students.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital with Ladusau-Evans serving as custodian of the funds.