Craig Langford LaGrone Sr.'s Obituary
In Loving Memory of Craig (Coach) Langford LaGrone, Sr.
Craig LaGrone, Sr. joined family and dear friends in the presence of his Lord on Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2023. He left us unexpectedly, having collapsed while walking to a football game at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. Craig was born June 22, 1943 in Detroit to Dr. Ewing Rector and Maxine Dubuque LaGrone. He grew up in a Christian home and attended Lutheran schools. During his senior year at Lutheran High West in 1960 he set the Michigan high school record for the 100-yard dash and played halfback on the 9-0 state champion football team. After graduating in 1961, he attended junior college at New Mexico Military Institute in preparation for the U.S. Naval Academy, nurturing his lifelong love for soldiers and all things military. He played football and ran track at Annapolis before transferring to the University of Tulsa to become a math and science teacher and football, track, and soccer coach. Craig married his first wife, Linda Richardson, in Tulsa where his son and two daughters (all OU grads) were born. He started teaching elementary PE at John Paul Jones, got his M.A. in education and taught and coached at McClain, Rogers, Booker T. Washington and Union high schools in Tulsa and Hilldale in Muskogee. As a chiropractor’s son, he was well equipped to teach biology, anatomy and physiology. As his children grew up, he loved attending their baseball games, soccer games, and track meets.
Craig worked long hours teaching, coaching, and waiting table to support his children before a TU professor and his wife introduced him to Ellen Fly whom he married exactly two years later at First Methodist Church. Together they fished, camped, boated, water-skied, danced, chased hot air balloons, rode bikes across Oklahoma on FreeWheel, explored Oklahoma and Sanibel, Florida, cruised the Caribbean, and went to the Tulsa State Fair every year. Craig was a lifelong collector, starting with butterflies, arrowheads, Greek and Roman coins, then military uniforms and patches, medals, wings, and model ships, tanks, and planes. Later he assembled a large collection of the promo cars dealers used to give away to new buyers. In recent years he became interested in Hot Wheels, which were always in his pocket to share when visiting his young grandsons. He attended exhibits and shows all over the middle of the U.S. and loved setting up at the Tulsa Flea Market when he could.
To show his appreciation for the sacrifices of those in the armed forces, Craig participated in a large military display every Memorial Day weekend at Promenade Mall for 20 years. When it closed, he exhibited parts of his military collection 4th of July weekend at First Methodist Church, the Timbers Condominiums, and Zarrow International School, enthusiastically sharing information about the veterans from Tulsa and elsewhere whose memorabilia and stories he displayed. He enjoyed spending time with his friends, buying and selling articles to display, bass fishing, collecting special coins, sports on TV, and watching his grandchildren in taekwondo, gymnastics, flag football, soccer, and volleyball.
Craig loved his adopted church and cherished his opportunities to play John in the 2011, 2014, and 2015 performances of The Living Lord’s Supper on Maundy Thursday. He served Rotary at First Methodist for years and was the final president of Healing and Wholeness Sunday school class. He and his wife collected offerings each Sunday and delivered homemade casseroles to Soup for the Soul every month at the Day Center for the Homeless. In the last year of his life, Craig thought it important to be in the men’s Bible study at 6:30 a.m. every Tuesday. He was a man who lived what he believed.
Craig was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Arden Green. He will be dearly missed by his wife of 24 years, Ellen; his son Lt. Craig LaGrone, Jr. and wife Deborah, their son Jaxon and daughter Halo; his daughter Cammie and husband Hill Trammell, their daughter Reynolds and son Sutton; his daughter Canon and husband Luke Bomer, their sons Colton and Graham, his nephew Randy Green, as well as by former students and many friends in Tulsa and throughout the country.
His final resting place will be in the Veterans Wall at Floral Haven Cemetery. His memorial service will be held at First Methodist Church at 11:00 a.m. January 18, 2024. It will be live-streamed at tulsafmc.online.church and available afterwards on YouTube. Condolences and remembrances may be sent to the family at www.floralhaven.com.
Memorial contributions in Craig’s memory may be made to First Methodist Church Tulsa, 1115 S. Boulder, Tulsa, OK 74119 (tulsafmc.org) for Gathering Hearts for Honduras or to Folds of Honor, which provides scholarships to families of fallen or disabled veterans (foldsofhonor.org).
Arrangements entrusted to Floral Haven Funeral Home.
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