Obituary for Don Loftis

Funeral services will be held for Don Loftis on Wednesday, January 14, 2015, at 10:30 a.m., in the First Presbyterian Church of Blackwell. He passed away on Thursday, January 8, 2015 at the age of 85.

Don Loftis was born August 3, 1929 to M. P. and Mary Sue Loftis in Wink, Texas, where his father was a drilling contractor in the Permian Basin. The family followed oil field booms in Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma during his childhood. They settled in Seminole, Oklahoma, where Don excelled in football, basketball and track graduating from Seminole High School in 1947.

Loftis graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a B.S. in Journalism. He was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity where he made life-long friends. He also played basketball at OU under Coach Bruce Drake and participated in track and intramural sports. He married Sue Ann (Sukie) Poling of Blackwell in 1951 while both were students at O.U. After college, he joined the United States Army serving as a 1st Lieutenant in Artillery. He was designated Sports Officer of Fort Sill and directed and pitched for the Fort Sill fast pitch softball team. Softball became a great passion and Don developed into one of the top ranked pitchers in the country. He began his business career as an insurance agent in 1956 in Duncan. In 1958, the family moved to Blackwell where he founded Don Loftis Insurance. Don was active in the insurance industry serving as the President of the Kay County Insurance Agents Association. In 1982 Don sold the insurance business to his son, Mike, and began a securities broker practice which he continued until his death.

He was active as a Trustee of the Presbyterian Church, as a director of Security Bank & Trust Company and active in various civic organizations in Blackwell. He was an avid golfer and sang barber shop quartet music with a group of friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Sue Ann. He is survived by his son Mike Loftis and wife, Kim, of Blackwell; his daughter Lynn Vague of Wichita, Kansas; and grandchildren Steven Loftis and wife Lori of Oklahoma City; Lauren Loftis Walker and husband Matthew of Tulsa, and Bryan Loftis of Seoul, South Korea.

Gifts in his memory can be made to the Blackwell Public School Foundation or Presbyterian Women’s Group in care of Roberts Funeral Home, 120 W. Padon, Blackwell, Oklahoma 74631.