Birth date: Mar 22, 1926 Death date: Nov 9, 2011
Survived by daughters, Sheri and Jeri; 5 grandchildren, Paige, Jason, April, Aaron, and Grant; daughter-in-law, Janet; niece, Pat; sister-in-law, Elsie;His Beloved Pug “Baby” and caretaker, Amy. Preceded in death by wife, Alice Ma Read Obituary
I wish I could have made it today, to put faces with some of the names I have heard over the two years I have known Mr. Rathbone. It truly has been an honor and privilege to serve him and get to know him. I only wish I had more time to get to know him. It is an honor to be caring for his beloved Baby. Sheri and Jeri my thoughts and prayers are with you and your families.
I first came in contact with Nyle after I sent him a letter in 1998. My father had written me a letter that told me of his family history and one person I wanted to get in contact with was Uncle "Red" Rathbone (I later learned not to call him that). I was doing geneology at the time and sent him a snail mail letter after I got his address off of the internet. He quickly responded and sent me his email address. I was thrilled that he wanted to keep in touch with me. We exchanged lengthy and frequent emails with an occational phone call. In Oct. 2004 I went to see him and Alice. I had the best time just "hanging out" with him, going for walks and touring Tulsa. He took me to his job at the Jewish retirement home and introduced me to all his friends. He had so many! I had a glorious few days with him. Sadley one month later in Nov. Alice passed. We would talk for hours on the phone with him telling me stories of my fathers father whom he looked up to. Boy, the stories he could tell. Also his tales of life at sea. All the ports he visited and of his shipmates and ships he was on. I couldnt keep them straight there were so many. And jobs, that man did so many different things.The one thing he always included in our conversations were his favorite people. He always told me how much everyone ment to him especially Jeri, Sheri Paige and April. (:o) Sheri) He always commented how one of the girls were after him for something stupid he would do. He knew better than to cross one of them. That made him feel especially loved. He loved for them to dote on him. Sadly his life ended way too soon for us. Not for him though, he told me he had lived a good life and he was ready to go and see his family. Well now he is with them and I am sure as happy as he can be looking down on us and laughing at all the fuss we are making. He loved us all and we loved him. He will be missed.
I* am Jeri's mom & I was picked as part of your family,(by you) You have blessed me so much in so many ways. I wiuild like to have known you for a lot longer time than I did, but you were so good to all of jmy fsmily & me. You were so special! You was such a csafreinf & loving person & also so giving. My whole family hasbeen so blessed to have you as a family member but also as a best friend. You have been so awesome. AWESOME! To us all. I think of you often & the things you have said & did. Some makes me laugh & some makes me cry, But the tears are just because I miss you so much already. I am so glad I got to be with you , last week. It made me so happy to see you smile & Jeri actualy go to make you laugh, even though you were in a lot of pain at the time. It is so good to know you are with our heavenly father now & some day when God takes us away we will be able to be with you once again. I love you Nyle & miss you so mjuch, Lois
My days on earth were made brighter when a wonderful man named Alfred Nyle Rathbone went to work at Tulsa Jewish as our security officer.It was just after losing all three of his boys then Alice that seemed to break Nyle's spirit (Later he confessed that he was not to long for this planet had it not been for Sheri and myself.) We had grown to love and adore this wonderful man a man whose greatest joy was helping others.Nyle and myself shared stories dreams and life itself. One day after Alice had passed away God granted me the opportunity of a lifetime. We sat at the desk one morning extra quiet he was when I with all my heart asked him a very sincere and heart-felt question. "Will you be my Dad?" His radiated the biggest smile I had ever seen as he told me "Yes of course it would be his honor." He knew I never really had a real Dad figure in my life but in the few years we had as Dad and daughter were a god sent for both of us. He wasn't just my Dad either When I told my co-worker Sheri she adopted him also. He was a part of our family as much and more than any blood family can provide. Birthdays, thanksgivings and Christmas times were extra great Sheri and myself would Play argue over who got him first on the holidays her or myself. But in reality he had us both on every holiday and not only us but all of my family and Sheri's thought of Nyle as part of their family.I had made a big bulletin board with pictures on it from way back to present of friends and relatives. But one board was not near enough to put a drop to all the friends he had(mostly women I might add)I teased him about that one time he was in the hospital when I called the people on his cell phone to update them. At that point in time one man besides Mack, which was under Elsie's name. That man was his boss at that time.The residents at Tulsa Jewish came to call him as friend and helper as well as anything the needed or wanted he would try to help and take watch over them. Today my first day back to work All I heard al day was good about Nyle Making me happy and grieving at the same time. That alone says a lot about a man there so many things this man know to me as Nyle "my Dad" has done so many that you would probably stop reading about them so I will try not to bore any one But if their is any doubt in anyone's mind if Nyle thought of me or Sheri as a daughter they had not talked very long to Nyle. He argued with doctors till they would finally agree with him and say ok yes she is your daughter and I WILL TREAT AS SUCH! That embarrassed me a little at first because I knew blood wise I was not his daughter but in his heart or mind I definitely was his daughter and my kids were his grandchildren.Especially loved girls he had always wanted girls and got 3 boys this is so because he told this over and over again. He told he wished he could have watched me grow up but he did watch my kids and my family grow up and weave him into the tapestry of our life.One of his favorite sayings he told me about was "You can't pick your relatives but you can pick your family" He loved us and we loved him and still will continue love him I am so glad God gave me the best Dad in the World that being that very special man everyone knew as Alfred Nyle Rathbone. I can now reach up and point to heaven he is with my "Daddy-God" What a neat thought both of them together I just want to curl my fingers and motion that I want to be picked up and held."Dad, I love you and miss you so much! Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your family. I can never begin to let you know just how much you have meant to me and how you have changed my life forever in just knowing you. Again I so miss you I wish you could have been here longer only in good health We all wanted that 120 years promised in the bible.But to wish this is selfish so all I can say my heart cries terribly with grief I do hop it eases for I didn't know love could be so painful." For now I send my love… some day we will see each other again and wash these tears away. Sincerely your daughter Jer
Nyle will be greatly missed by all that know him. We love you.
Alfred Nyle Rathbone was born March 22,1926 in Portland Ore. to Robert Milton Rathbone and Clara M. Snyder Rathbone. Nyle joined the Merchant Marines at a young age and remained until Desert Storm. Nyle held many jobs throughout his life but most recently at a Jewish retirement home in Tulsa. Nyle married Alice M. Knowles Aug. 22, 1952. Together they raised 3 sons, Charles (Chuck), Robert (Bobby) and Michael. Nyle was a great story teller and was loved by many. He loved all animals and especially dogs. He said he never met one he didnt like and animals were drawn to him. Nyle was one of the most down-to-earth people you could ever meet. Nyle is survived by his nephew Charles (Chuck) Hickman of Keizer, Oregon and his 4 children. Niece Carolyn Christi Oswald of LaGrande Oregon and her 5 children. Caregivers and adopted daughters Jerry and Sherry and their children whom he loved dearly, of Tulsa and surounding areas. Baby, (Pug) his beloved companion of Tulsa. Many great and great great nieces and nephews. Nobody could have asked for a better uncle,father,husband, friend and family member. He will be greatly missed. Nyle is finally with his wife, sons, mother, father, brothers, Arbie, Leeland,Sidney and sister Margaret Hickman Harper. RIP Nyle. We Love you.
