John Paul Gwartney's Obituary
John Paul Gwartney was born March 11, 1924 in Pryor, Oklahoma, to Hogan and Nola Lancaster Gwartney. John was the oldest of four boys, George, Tom, and Bobby. After many moves around Oklahoma and Texas, the Gwartney family took roots in Westville, Oklahoma. John and his brothers grew up on a dairy farm and helped with the chores. He developed a love for hunting and fishing and spent time running up and down Ballard and Barren Fork Creeks. That love for the outdoors was a passion his entire life.John graduated from Westville High School in 1941. As a Yellow Jacket, John was active in many sports and school activities while helping on the farm. He worked weekends at the drugstore in Westville helping fill prescriptions and serving up ice cream cones, malts, milk shakes and sundaes. He knew everyone in town and everyone knew him.Upon graduation, John enlisted in the US Navy. Given his age of 17, his dad had to sign off on that decision, which wasn’t all that popular with his mom. In September of 1941 John shipped out to defeat the Japanese in the south Pacific. John served all over the Pacific as an Aviation Machinist Mate, 1st Class. After winning WWII almost single handedly, John was honorably discharged in 1946, and headed home to Oklahoma to find his fortune. John went to work and enrolled at Northeastern State in Tahlequah with the intention of becoming a doctor. After a couple of semesters, he opted to become a science teacher instead.Upon graduation, John took a teaching job near Westville. Wright’s Chapel was a one room school house and his assignment included all kids first through second grade. He loved it. The school was on the banks of Barren Fork Creek and could not have been better suited for John’s taste. Around this time, John’s life became even more complicated. Navy boy meets a farm girl…Maxine Jones.In January of 1952, sparks flew and 66 years of wedded bliss began. Eleven months later Darrell was born, and things got busier for John. He was not only teaching school but working weekends in the drug store and a local gas station, along with raising several hundred chickens for Pillsbury on a poultry farm. Life was so good and John finally had time to consider where he wanted to go with the rest of his life. The bright lights of the city got John’s attention and he applied for a job in the Tulsa area. Owasso Schools hired John in the summer of 1955, as a secondary science teacher. Soon after the move, John and Maxine learned another blessing was in the works. Their daughter, Johnnie Marie, was born in April of 1956. In the midst of all this John was promoted to Jr. High principal. He worked in that capacity a couple of years before becoming high school principal. In 1962 John was named the superintendent of Owasso Schools and led that district for three years. During those three years, John initiated bond issues to meet the needs of the growing district and provide a much better environment for students. Those efforts laid the ground work for the Owasso district to grow into one of the largest districts in the state. He cherished those ten years and the people of Owasso. Throughout the rest of his life, John considered his students at Owasso “his kids”.After a very ill-considered move to Barstow, California in 1965, John quickly figured out he had no desire to live in California. Two weeks later, John opted to move his family back to Oklahoma. He found a teaching job at the last second and the family moved to Jenks, with the promise of an administrative position the following year. That position did not materialize as quickly as anticipated and John opted to leave for a high school principal job in Cleveland, Oklahoma. A year later, that job in Jenks opened and John headed back to become a Trojan again. The year was 1967, and John put down roots to remain in Jenks until his retirement in 1986. While with Jenks Schools, John served as Administrative Assistant for Support Services, Elementary School Principal, and Executive Director for District Elementary Education. He dearly loved Jenks and the people he worked with over the years. He often expressed a special bond with his teachers and colleagues, not to mention his thousands of students. Most particularly during these years, John developed serious heart issues.In 1972, his son Darrell married his high school sweetheart, Debbie Cundiff, and another chapter opened in John’s life. His first grandson, Dason, came along and the role of PaPa began to play out. In 1973, John underwent emergency heart bypass surgery, weeks after seeing his first grandson take his first steps. The technology that saved his life had been installed in the hospital only three days prior to his needing that help. That blessing, coupled with the motivation to see his grandson grow up put John on a path to recovery. It was a rough time for family and friends, but his staff at school rallied in support and John successfully got back on his feet working another fifteen years with what he considered a “great bunch of pros”.In 1977, his daughter Johnnie, married Harry Rockefeller. Both were ORU affiliated and lived in the Tulsa area. Another grandson, Jeremy came along in 1980, adding Toby in 1982 and TJ in 1985. The four grandsons added to John’s motivation to retire and that’s what he did in 1986. He was truly ready to move on with his life.John adapted to retirement rather quickly, like the very first day. His love for Maxine and fishing became his focus. For the next 32 years he and Maxine attacked Grand Lake with a passion. Big Hollow and Gran Tara were their base camps and their pontoon boat saw plenty of action. John had a dark side that only selected people had seen. It emerged each time he got behind the steering wheel of the boat. Teaching the grandsons to fish, ski, and zip sled was something he and Maxine thoroughly enjoyed. Yet, once the kids mastered the art, John became very adept at trying to kill them along with their parents. John was a pro at finding the biggest wave on the lake and crashing the boat into that wave, soaking everyone on board and leaving the skier or sledder to fend for themselves. He also taught all four boys to fish and loved watching them swim around the dock. He had the grandpa business down to an art form. John and Maxine also followed the grandsons’ sports and activities. Baseball, soccer, wrestling, scouts, and cattle shows were all on the agenda. John was extremely proud of his family and didn’t hesitate to let you know about it.Maxine and John traveled all over the country traveling from Maine to Alaska during their retirement years. They loved every second of it…except for the end of one vacation. 9-11 occurred on the tail end of their Alaska cruise. They became stranded first in Seattle and then Denver along with good friends Bob and Fern Sharp, on that fateful day. It was a two day adventure getting home via a bus ride.John and two of his partners in crime, Frank Herald and Leo Beckham, had an annual fishing trip to the Gulf in Texas. Red fish were the targeted species and the three amigos spent a month each year chasing fish and having a great time. They came home tired but happy. Within a week they were already talking about “next year’s trip”. The pictures were always a hoot.John also loved his church and enjoyed his faith. He loved his Sunday school class and the activities and trips they took. He volunteered to help with Jolly Citizens as a greeter, and compared it to the fun times he spent as the high school Sunday school teacher at Bethel Baptist in Owasso. He loved people and people loved him back.John mowed his own lawn until he was 88 years old and refused any help. He was very independent until the day he died. He refused to use a walker even though he was likely to fall at any moment, and absolutely hated not being able to remember things important to him. He did give up driving at the age of 88 but it was much like when he gave up smoking in 1967….it nearly killed us all. He played dominoes weekly, despite his dementia, thanks to the patience of Maxine, the Hargroves and the Sharps. Their Friday night matches set the bragging rights for the week and were important to him. Thanks to Betty Lou and Kenneth and Bob and Fern for staying the course every Friday night for all those years.John is survived by his wife of 66 years, Maxine of Jenks. A son Darrell and his wife Debbie of Owasso. A daughter Johnnie and her husband Harry Rockefeller of Broken Arrow. A grandson Dason and his wife Jenn of Bixby. Grandson Jeremy Rockefeller and his wife Alex and their two sons, Archer and Harrison. Grandson Toby Rockefeller and his wife Bridgett and their three children, Riley, Hadley, and Henry of St. Louis. TJ Rockefeller and his wife Ashley and their two sons, Seth and Sage of Broken Arrow. John is also survived by many nieces and nephews whom he loved dearly.John was preceded in death by his parents Nola and Hogan Gwartney. Three brothers, George, Tom, and Bobby, and numerous in-laws, aunts and uncles.Those interested in honoring John’s life are invited to contribute to Jenks School Foundation or the St. John’s Heart Institute.
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