Obituary for Stan Ketcher

Stan Ketcher

July 29, 1946 – April 12, 2020

Stanley Ray (Stan) Ketcher, 73, of Ponca City, was raised up to be with his Lord on Easter morning, April 12, 2020, in Oklahoma City under the care of dedicated doctors and nurses at Integris Hospital. A Celebration of Life Service will take place at a later date.

Stan was born on July 29, 1946, in Stilwell, Oklahoma to Noah and Tempie Ketcher, and was the next to youngest of eight children. He grew up in the area and graduating from Stilwell High School. He then furthered his education at Northeastern State College graduating with a BA in Accounting in 1967. After graduation, he accepted an offer from Conoco and moved to Ponca City. Soon thereafter Uncle Sam invited him to service in the Army. He served most of his time in Manheim, Germany before returning to Ponca City and Conoco. There he met and married his forever love, Joyce Royster on August 18, 1972, at Community Christian Church in Ponca City. They were married for nearly 48 years and were blessed to raise their family here.

After Stan retired from Conoco Phillips in 2002, he entered the second phase of his life: volunteering. For nearly 12 years, Stan helped with filing tax returns at the Ponca City Library through the AARP program. In addition, he began one of his favorite “jobs” with Habitat for Humanity helping build homes for those who needed a hand up. He enjoyed working with the rest of the volunteer crew so much and had many laughs and stories to tell when he would come home. For several years he served on the Rural Water District Board serving as president for the past couple of years through present. He was also one of the “Tuesday Guys” at his church which is a group of men who meet on Tuesdays and help with odd jobs around the church.

In 2008, Stan was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis which first affected his liver and eventually his kidneys. He was put on both transplant lists in 2011. On December 21, 2015 he received the greatest gift of his life, a double transplant of liver and kidney thru the Nazih Zudi Transplant Center, Baptist Integris Hospital in Oklahoma City. Because of this gift of life, Stan was a big supporter of organ donation through Life Share Oklahoma.

Stan was most proud in his life of his children and the added bonus they brought into his life: his 5 grandchildren. He also dearly loved family get togethers with his siblings and big extended family. He loved working in his yard, sometimes until after dark when Joyce would have to wonder what he could see out there. Stan was an avid OU football fan. Although most people thought he was a quiet person, they were not present in the living room when he would yell at the TV during tense games. He dearly loved his church and church family, serving wherever he felt he was called.

Stan will be sorely missed by his family. Those left to cherish his memory are his wife, Joyce, of the home; son, Brandon Ketcher and his wife, Kasi, of Bixby, OK; daughters, Kory Sokolosky and her husband, Chevis, of Tulsa, OK, Kimberly Ketcher of Melbourne, FL; grandchildren, Ryan Ketcher, Arin Ketcher, Aiden Sokolosky, Eli Sokolosky and Harper Sokolosky; brother, Donald Ketcher and his wife, Bett, of Del City, OK; sisters, Virginia Hummingbird and Sue Hummingbird, both of Stilwell, OK; Wynema Bean and her husband, Alfred, of St. Louis, MO as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Jay and Waite, one sister, Tina and 3 brothers in law.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the First Christian Church, 210 N 5th St, Ponca City, OK 74601 or to Ponca City Habitat for Humanity,

Arrangements are under the direction of Trout Funeral Home. Messages of condolence can be sent to www.troutfuneralhome.com.

Source: Trout Funeral Home