Herald C. Givens Jr.'s Obituary
Herald C. Givens, Jr., age 63, went to be with Jesus on December 19, 2014, after a long and courageous battle with ALS. Herald was born July 22, 1951. He graduated from Will Rogers High School in 1969 and studied photography at The University of Tulsa. He married Debbie Endres on June 17, 1973. His lifelong photography career began at age 16. Later a technician and photographer for the traveling music group Spurrlows, one of his favorite memories was their performance at the White House for President Nixon and 101 wounded Vietnam Veterans on Thanksgiving Day 1970. He was also a photographer for the Tulsa Metro Chamber, and joined the staff at the Tulsa Tribune after they saw photos he took at an Elvis concert. A motorcycle cop for the Tulsa Police Department for four years, he also owned several successful businesses. His ice cream shop, Cookies and Cream, was the first in Tulsa to offer fresh-made cones. He also owned CES Communications, a two-way radio business. Visual Impact Producers, his commercial production company, specialized in special effects long before the days of Photoshop, and he received many awards for his work. For the past 23 years he owned Image Electronics, specializing in business communication systems and striving to provide the best installation and highest quality of service possible. He even provided before- and after-installation photos to his clients. Herald donated his time and varied talents to help meet the needs of many Tulsa-area nonprofits, including Clarehouse, March of Dimes, RSVP and Catholic Charities. A member of Leadership Tulsa Class 29, he served on the LT board for 11 years and was LT president from July 2008 to December 2009. In 2009 he received the LT Paragon Award for his 35 years volunteering at The Little Light House, where he also served on the board. In October he received the inaugural Herald Givens Heart of LT Award for exemplary service to LT and the community. Traveling with his family, photography, collecting Beanie Babies and bicycling were some of his favorite activities. Most recently he enjoyed writing poems and printing them over many of his travel photos. He was an active member of Church of the Holy Spirit Anglican. Those who will miss Herald most include: his loving wife, Debbie; daughter Janae and husband Adrian Jordan; son, Jansen; and sister, Dorothy (Pack) and husband Roger Spainhower. Other family members include in-laws, Loretta and Charles Endres; sisters-in-law, Donna Williams, and Diana Wakefield and husband Keith; brothers-in-law, Keith Endres and Kevin Endres; numerous nieces and nephews and many close friends. He was predeceased by: his father, Herald Givens, Sr. and step-mother Nela Givens; mother, Beatrice Smith; grandparents and brother-in-law Garcia Pack. Services will be held December 23rd at 1 p.m. at Church of the Holy Spirit Anglican, 12121 E. 41st St. A graveside service at Floral Haven Cemetery and reception in the Floral Haven Family Center will follow immediately. Family visitation was held 5-7 p.m. December 21st at Floral Haven Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, you may contribute to The Little Light House, Leadership Tulsa or Tulsa Global Alliance.
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