Sand Springs Couples Host 6th Annual Pregnancy and Infant Loss 5K

Left to Right: Matt Barnett, Cassie Barnett, Paige Ryan, Austin Ryan. (Courtesy).

Pregnancy is often greeted with a great deal of celebration and excitement. Couples plan photo shoots for their announcements, followed by maternity photos. Baby showers have become elaborate affairs, and gender reveals have reached comedic and even dangerous magnitudes.

But what few people want to talk about is how many of those children will never celebrate their first birthday.

According to the World Health Organization, 10 to 15% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, and nearly 2 million babies are stillborn each year.

The level of loss and heartache that a parent goes through in these situations can’t be measured, affects everyone differently, and often leaves the parent feeling alone, confused, betrayed, and any other number of emotions.

And far too often they go through that pain without the community support that they had during their pregnancy. Folks turn out for baby showers, but there are no stillbirth showers.

That’s why two Sand Springs couples are hosting an annual Pregnancy and Infant Loss 5K.

“This is the second one we’ve been involved with,” said event co-organizer Matt Barnett.

“We just partnered in with Austin and Paige Ryan. They’ve been doing this for a couple years after they lost their first kid. Paige and my wife got close after we lost our first child.”

Jacob Austin Ryan was stillborn on January 23, 2018 and the Ryan family started the 5K and Fun Run that year in his honor.

Matt and Cassie Barnett lost their daughter, Elizabeth “Elle” Jane Bartnett to stillbirth on August 28th, 2021 and joined the Ryans in co-hosting the event last year.

“We started doing the run with them last year and it went well,” said Matt Barnett. “We added HillSpring into the mix and our church really got behind it. And then unfortunately we lost another kid.”

Paxton “Pax” Brently Barnett was also stillborn on March 23rd, 2023.

The Barnetts, who are both on staff at HillSpring Church in Sand Springs, often speak from the pulpit about the loss of their children and how it has affected both their faith and their marriage, shining a light on a difficult subject that’s rarely discussed publicly.

They hope the 5K will help bring attention to the issue and let other parents dealing with loss know that they’re not alone.

“Find community,” said Matt Barnett. “I would beg people, don’t do it alone. Find a community. Find a MEND group, find churches, find organizations that you can lean on and people who have been through the same experience.”

“Grief is long and it’s weird and it’s just unpredictable. It’s not fair to do it alone, so we need people to help.”

Mommies Enduring Neonatal Death (MEND) is one of two organizations that the 5K is raising money for.

“MEND is an organization that really helps put support groups together for families who have went through infant and pregnancy loss,” said Barnett. “They were really helpful for my wife when she went through this.”

The other organization is Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, which provides families going through a loss with newborn photography sessions.

“Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep is a weird one for us” said Barnett. “I didn’t know if I wanted that the first time we lost somebody, but I never realized how much I would cherish that. It’s just another example of how they were real and how they mattered.”

The 2023 race on October 7th drew 78 entrees for the 5K any many more participated in the fun run at Case Community Park.

11-year-old Canyon Carnahan, of Sand Springs, won the race handily with a time of 22:01. Greg and Kiera Barnes, of Mannford, finished second and third in 23:36 and 24:17.

“It’s been really successful,” said Barnett. “I think last year we raised around $8,000 or so. That’s the most we’ve ever raised and we’re hoping to get close to that or more this year.”

The race drew everyone from avid runners to supporters of the cause to families who have experienced their own losses.

“It’s beautiful,” said Barnett. “There’s a lot of community involvement. The City’s involved with this, local churches, we have about 20 sponsors for the event. It really is a lot of people coming together so it’s really cool.”

5K Results

Men

22:01 Canyon Carnahan
23:36 Greg Barnes
24:22 Jeff Parks
24:41 Kory Brown
27:19 Kenny White
27:19 Caleb Smith
28:16 Shuan Adams
30:18 Bryce Beall
32:08 Christopher Matthews
32:19 Cayden Holder
33:24 Kevin Rouk
34:29 Bradley Potts
35:07 Kaidyn Cowan
35:13 Bobby White
35:48 Kurtis Crawford
36:10 Eli Beall
36:11 Daniel Henderson
37:20 Scott Emigh
43:44 Justin Carnahan
46:17 Keaton Smith
46:27 Ryan Johnson
49:23 Jacob Rupp
54:49 Ron Mayes
55:22 John Sommers
58:07 Bobby McIntosh
58:47 George Stabler
58:50 Andrew Arms
59:19 Shawn Smith
59:25 Nick Julkowski
1:05:22 Chris Wilson

Women

24:17 Kiera Barnes
27:24 Chezney Kelley
27:29 Audrey Fincannon
28:09 Shelby Champ
28:26 Shannon Hamilton
28:43 Katelynn Castleman
28:45 Kassie Billingsly
29:11 Ashley Cox
29:25 Nancy Vanderburg
32:50 Victoria Buchanan
33:24 Kelly Holder
33:38 Kynlee Carnahan
35:54 Patricia Harsley
37:23 Victoria Middleton
38:42 Alison Holder
41:47 Andee Sage
43:10 Charity Emigh
43:42 Heather Carnahan
44:27 Sericca Walters
44:27 Kara Enkey
45:24 Regan Pidcock
45:27 Madison Smith
45:42 Amber Cowan
48:08 Haylee Dewberry
48:44 Tiffany Rowe
49:16 Michelle Key
49:23 Savannah Lytle
54:01 Emily Smith
54:03 Casey Arms
55:20 Heather Sommers
56:41 Kendra McIntosh
57:05 Karen Smith
58:07 Carolynn Canfield
58:37 Kaylee Kendall
58:38 Natasha Odom
58:44 Shannon Strabala
58:45 Claire Julkowski
58:49 Meoldy Hilligoss
58:49 Piper Brooks
58:50 Ashley Vanderburg
58:50 Hannah McGarvey
58:55 Lindsey Julkowski
59:41 Pam Jackson
1:03:26 Lana Greenfield
1:04:05 Paulette Bennet
1:04:05 Theresa Greene
1:04:10 Randy-Lynne Wach
1:05:22 Tamara Boyles

Special Teams Spark Sandites to 39-14 Win at Putnam City West

Hunter Wilson scored the Sandites first points of the game with a blocked punt for a safety. (Photo by Charity Emigh).

When Bobby Klinck first arrived in Sand Springs in January of 2020, he held a meeting at HillSpring Church where he laid out his vision for the program to players, parents, and community stakeholders.

In that meeting he stressed the importance of special teams.

“Special teams have the ability to shift a game in either direction,” said Klinck. “Either negatively from failed preparation or positively from precise execution. Hidden yardage is the biggest advantage we will look for in special teams.”

In year four of the Klinck era, it’s clear that he wasn’t just talking. Thursday night at No. 9 Putnam City West (3-4, 0-4), it was the special teams who repeatedly shifted the game in the Sandites’ favor.

A blocked punt, two safeties, and kick returns averaging more than 35 yards were the difference maker in a 39-14 win from No. 5 Charles Page High School (4-3, 2-2) to remain undefeated against the Patriots.

“Coach (Jake) Bray, our special teams coordinator, is the best in the state,” said Klinck.

So when Bray came to Klinck this week and said he thought he could bring some pressure on the Patriot punting unit, Klinck said “let’s go get it, man.”

“Credit to the kids doing a great job and credit to Coach Bray for putting that game plan together and really taking advantage of our special teams.”

The first points of the game came on the Patriots’ second possession when Hunter Wilson blocked Brandon Garcia’s punt out the back of the end zone.

Alex Dudley returned the ensuing kick 40 yards to the Patriot 25 and Jace Arnold cashed in seven plays later with a four-yard wildcat run.

The Patriots’ next punt attempt was fumbled and recovered by Christian Freitus for a touchdown.

Then, Gatlin Gunn returned the next punt 41 yards to the Patriot 14, setting up a 9-yard run by Kenneth Page on the first play of the second quarter.

Two plays later, Owen Floyd forced a fumble that Marcum Sims recovered to set up a four-play scoring drive capped by Page’s 23-yard touchdown run.

Page was the workhorse for the Sandites all night, ending with 26 carries for 138 yards. The senior usually shares the load with Ali McCoy, who is missing this week and next with an injury sustained against Stillwater.

“It’s an absolute luxury,” said Klinck, about having two dynamic running backs.

“They’re stacking the box but we’re still able to get positive yards. We get some positive push up front, but then to have a big time tailback who knows where to hit the holes and then finishes runs - that’s a huge luxury to have.”

With a 30-0 lead just two minutes into the second quarter, it looked like the game would be a runaway rout, but the Patriots had other plans.

After holding Putnam West to only 13 yards in the first quarter, the Patriots exploded for 146 yards in the second quarter to make it a two-score game.

Shyheim Johnson led a methodical 10-play, 86-yard march and scored on a two-yard sneak to get his team on the board.

Then Marriceon Gilstrap recovered a fumbled hike to set up a six-play, 45-yard drive capped by a four-yard run from Dujuan Knight.

The Patriots stymied the Sandites’ last drive of the half and opened the second half with Aaron Edwards blocking a 40-yard field goal attempt by Dawson Puckett.

Jamar McCrary recovered the ball, but the Sandites had successfully eaten up nearly eight minutes of clock to slow the Patriots’ momentum.

“When it’s 30 to nothing, we’ve got to find a way to finish opponents and not let them back in the game,” said Klinck. “But I was glad we were able to have a long opening drive. I would have liked to have gotten some points out of that, but that was a good way to open the second half.”

The next three possessions were a series of turnovers on downs.

Freitus broke up a fourth-down pass intended for Mykel Ford in the end zone.

The Patriots responded by stuffing Arnold on fourth-and-one, but four plays later Johnson dumped an incomplete pass under pressure to give it back to the Sandites.

A 58-yard punt from Puckett pinned the Patriots deep in their own red zone and when Garcia failed to corral an errant long snap, the punter decided to toss the ball out the back of his end zone for the second safety of the night.

Dudley returned the ensuing kick 36 yards and Page cashed in a 36-yard screen pass from Easton Webb three plays later to pad the lead.

Freshman Joseph Farmer put the final nail in the Patriot coffin with an interception and the Sandites ended the night in victory formation.

Webb finished the game 7-of-15 for 83 yards passing. In addition to his 138 rushing yards, Page also had three catches for 57 yards.

Dudley led the defense with six tackles, followed by Floyd and Gunn with five apiece. The defense mustered five tackles for loss while holding Putnam West to only 184 yards, with only 25 yards in the second half.

Johnson was 9-of-25 passing for 125 yards and Knight had 15 carries for 77 yards to pace the Patriots.

Sand Springs improved to a perfect 6-0 all-time against the Patriots, though this was the closest meeting since 2017.

“Coach (Gregory) Johnson did a good job,” said Klinck. “Those kids were ready to go. They had a good game plan, they’re stacking the box. They did a good job taking away what we like to do, so hat’s off to them.”

“I was happy we were able to get some younger kids in to get some meaningful snaps and we had a freshman get an interception.”

“I think our program’s to the point of we’re disappointed in a 25-point win. Our kids know that we left some plays out there and that we need to finish an opponent off.”

Next up for the Sandites will be yet another Thursday night game, this time at home against No. 6 Bartlesville (3-4, 3-1), who fell 14-10 to No. 4 Stillwater in their Week 6 meeting.

Sand Springs has won three in a row against the Bruins, but Bartlesville leads the series 21-18. The series is one of the longest-standing rivalries for either school, having been played 22 consecutive seasons. The two teams have only missed playing each other twice since Bartlesville High School opened in 1982.

CPHS 39 PCW 14

First Downs: CPHS 10, PCW 7.
Fumbles/Lost: CPHS 4/2, PCW 5/2.
C-A-Y-I: CPHS 8-16-83-0, PCW 9-25-125-1.
Rushes-Yards: CPHS 43-143, PCW 21-58.
Plays-Yards: CPHS 59-226, PCW 46-183.
Penalties-Yards: CPHS 10-65, PCW 13-95.

Scoring Summary

1Q (6:56) - Wilson Safety, CPHS 2-0.
1Q (4:23) - Arnold 4-yard Run, Puckett Kick, CPHS 9-0.
1Q (3:37) - Freitus Fumble Recovery, Puckett Kick, CPHS 16-0.
2Q (11:52) - Page 9-yard Run, Puckett Kick, CPHS 23-0.
2Q (9:51) - Page 23-yard Run, Puckett Kick, CPHS 30-0.
2Q (5:29) - Johnson 1-yard Run, Garcia Kick, CPHS 30-7.
2Q (1:56) - Knight 4-yard Run, Garcia Kick, CPHS 30-14.
4Q (7:12) - Safety, CPHS 32-14.
4Q (5:32) - Page 36-yard Pass from Webb, Puckett Kick, CPHS 39-14.

Obituary: Gloria Jean (Stephens) Wickett

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Gloria Jean (Stephens) Wickett was reunited with her parents and siblings on Sunday, October 1st. She was surrounded by her husband, children, and grandchildren when she departed St. Francis Hospital.

A beloved wife, mother, and grandmother - her legacy will live on in the hearts she touched in her family, church, and community.

Gloria was born on April 12, 1943 to Clarence and Alverina Stephens in Sand Springs. She came from a large family of seven siblings and she was the last of them to return home to Jesus.

Gloria was one of the first students to walk the halls of the new Charles Page High School, graduating in 1961.She married her husband of 60 years, Jack Wickett, on July 5th, 1963 in her sister’s back yard in Allen Bowden. They welcomed their only child, Darrin, into the world in 1966.

She was a hard worker and retired from Continental Industries after 15 years of service as an oil and gas inspector, but she will be best remembered for her commitment to her family.

Gloria enjoyed tending to her flowers and making her home a warm and welcoming place for her triplet grandkids and their families to visit.

She had a reputation of being kind, loving, sweet, quiet, and soft, and she welcomed everyone from her daughter-in-law to her grandkids-in-law into the family with open arms. She was a wonderful cook and homemaker and loved to host holiday get-togethers.

She loved animals and her dog Furby followed her in death a day later to keep her company.

Gloria was preceded in death by her parents and her siblings: Dan Stephens, Bailey Baker, Maxine Miller, Melton Stephens, Red Stephens, and Tommy Stephens.

She is survived by her husband, Jack Wickett; son, Darrin and Robin Wickett of Sand Springs; grandson, Kyle Wickett and Rachel Armstrong of Skiatook; grandson Brandon Wickett of Tulsa; and granddaughter Charity and Scott Emigh of Sand Springs.

Visitation for Gloria will be Wednesday, October 4th from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Mobley-Groesbeck Funeral Home in Sand Springs. The funeral service will be Thursday, October 5th at 11:00 a.m. at Prattwood Assembly of God in Sand Springs.

Sand Springs Homecoming Parade Looking For Participants

2020 Gold Pride Marching BAnd.

Cooler air has arrived, leaves are beginning to drop, and the boys of fall are once again bleeding and sweating on the gridiron.

The changing of the seasons also heralds the return of a beloved tradition that’s familiar to every small town in America - Homecoming.

The annual Charles Page High School Homecoming Parade will return to downtown Sand Springs on Thursday, September 28th at 6:00 p.m.

2018 Sandite Football Team.

The parade will follow its traditional route from Charles Page High School westward on Park Avenue to the downtown Triangle before turning south on Main Street. It will then turn east on 2nd Street before returning to the school by way of Adams Road.

Intersections along the parade route will be closed shortly before the parade begins and will reopen as soon as it concludes.

The event will highlight the Charles Page High School fall sports teams as well as youth football, cheer, dance, choir, marching band, and other school programs. The public is also invited to attend and the parade frequently includes local businesses, political candidates, and community leaders.

2020 Homecoming Queen Candidate Kali BAker.

The Homecoming Court will of course be crown jewel of the parade. The queen candidates and their escorts can typically be seen sitting atop sunroofs or waving from the finest of convertibles.

Anyone looking to enter the parade can download this form and email it to Frank Cooper at frank.cooper@sandites.org or fax it to Cooper at 918-246-1480.

Entrees are due no later than Tuesday, September 26th. Participants will need to be in position at the high school by 5:30 p.m. on Thursday the 28th.

The Sandites’ Homecoming football game and coronation will be Friday, September 29th at Memorial Stadium against No. 7 Tahlequah (0-3).

Sand Springs defeated Tahlequah 25-21 last season on the road after scoring 19 unanswered points to come back from a 25-6 deficit. They lead the all-time series against the Tigers 14-8-1 and have won the past five meetings, including Homecoming games in 2005 and 2006.

Sandite Athletics Implementing Clear Bag Policy at Home Events

Sand Springs Public Schools has announced a clear bag policy as well as other enhanced safety measures for Sandite football and other home athletics events.

The announcements comes on the heels of three gun-related incidents at high school football games over the past week.

A stampede happened at a Friday night football game at Booker T. Washington high school in Tulsa after a juvenile reportedly brandished a firearm. No shots were fired and police recovered the weapon but were unable to apprehend the suspect.

A Pryor student reportedly brought a firearm to a football game at Locust Grove that same night, though the unloaded gun was retrieved by police on a tip, and the student was apprehended.

The most horrific game of the night was Del City at Choctaw, where several shots were fired and 16-year-old Cordae Carter was killed. A 42-year-old man was reportedly shot by a law enforcement officer on the scene and he remains in intensive care. A 15-year-old was arrested Tuesday night, though it’s unclear what their connection was to the incident. Three individuals were shot and two teen girls suffered broken bones during the ensuing panic.

Below is the full statement from the district.

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“At Sand Springs Public Schools, we are dedicated to providing a safe and enjoyable environment for all attendees at athletics events. In light of recent incidents at schools across Oklahoma, we are implementing new security procedures for football games and other athletics events hosted at Sand Springs.

Effective immediately, the following security procedures will be enforced at all home games:

Student ID Required: Students in grades 6-12 will be required to present their school ID upon entry, unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian. This applies to both Sand Springs students and visiting students.

Parent/Guardian Supervision: All students in grades PK-5 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Third-Party Students: If a student under 18 does not attend one of the two schools playing, that student must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. If that student is 18 or over, they are allowed to attend unaccompanied, and they will have the same expectations as any adult.

Clear Bags Only: All attendees, including students, parents, staff, and visitors, can bring only clear bags to games. This policy will enable our security personnel to easily inspect the contents of bags and ensure that prohibited items are not brought onto the premises.

Cases containing medical equipment (insulin, EpiPens, etc.) will be permitted, but they will be subject to inspection.

Additional Staff: Games will have an increased presence of SSPS staff. The staff will wear highly visible uniforms so that they are easily identifiable in a crowd.

Gate Security: Security personnel will be stationed at each entrance at the event.

See Something, Say Something: Spectators are encouraged to speak out if they see or hear anything suspicious. Staff and security will be available nearby, and signs for the STOPIt Anonymous Reporting App will be placed throughout the stadium.

The procedures above are in addition to established rules, such as our dedicated middle school section, the prohibition of weapons and alcohol, etc.

Please know that these changes are not made lightly. The safety of our students, staff, and community remains our priority. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we work to make football games and athletics events as safe and secure as possible.”

Season Primer: Sandite Football Kicks Off Friday vs. Sapulpa

SAnd Springs hosts the highway 97 rivalry trophy after a 2022 road victory at sapulpa.

Since 1952, Sand Springs and Sapulpa have been connected by State Highway 97, but since 1922 something else has connected the two Tulsa suburbs.

Blood, sweat, pigskin, and gridiron have been bringing the two communities together for 30 years longer than the rivalry has had a name - and for the 97th time in the past 102 seasons, Sandites and Chieftains will be at each other’s throats on Friday, August 25th at Memorial Stadium

Both Charles Page High School and Sapulpa High School will open their seasons in Zero Week in the American Heritage Bank Highway 97 Rivalry.

The defending 97 Champs? Sand Springs by way of a 35-21 road win that saw now-senior running back Kenneth Page lit up the scoreboard to the tune of 205 yards and five touchdowns.

With their eighth win in the past nine years, the Sandites finally took their first series lead since 1943 at 46-45-5.

Both teams are looking to take a big step this season. After three consecutive seasons with playoff wins, the Sandites aim for their first State Finals berth since 2015. Sapulpa is coming off back-to-back winning seasons and is looking for its first playoff win since 2005.

Both teams will be eager to start the season on the right foot with a win against their chief rivals before a packed house on statewide television.

The Sandites started the year with a 21-7 half-game loss to Choctaw at the Jenks Football Preview on Friday, August 18th. The Yellowjackets took a 14-0 lead before Easton Webb connected with Wyatt Rutledge, the latest in a long line of Rutledge football stars.

“We were a little bit tired towards the end of that scrimmage, which is natural,” said fourth-year head coach Bobby Klinck, who owns a 22-14 record since arriving at Sand Springs.

“You can run and sprint and do all that stuff, but football shape is different. You’ve got to be ready for it. So I thought there were some plays that we left out there, but for the most part, when we watched film and went back and looked at it, I thought we’re a much-improved football team from last year and I look forward to showing that on Friday.”

Klinck isn’t one to gently test the water toes-first. Choctaw was last year’s State Runner-Up, beating the Sandites 48-29 in the quarterfinals. His team will also take on defending 6A-I State Champion Bixby in the second game of the season.

The Sandites’ strength this season will be their offensive line. Six-foot-four sophomore Ryley Kester is already receiving Division I offers, checking in at 270 pounds. 275-pound senior Tyler Smith stands six feet fall, as does 280-pound senior Marcus Sims. At center, State Tournament-placing wrestler Mason Harris will provide six feet and 260 pounds of intensity.

“Combine that with Ali McCoy and Kenneth Page, we’re looking to run the football,” said Klinck. “There’s no doubt we should be able to. I’ve always told the O-line that we’ll go as far as they go.”

Page was the workhorse for the Sandites last year, carrying the ball 210 times for 1022 yards and 17 touchdowns. McCoy also showed off his speed with 53 carries for 297 yards and 7 TDs.

Klinck expects to split the workload pretty evenly between the two this year. “Those guys love it because they understand that when they’re fresh, they’re a lot better."

Also taking advantage of that powerful line will be 6’4” sophomore quarterback Easton Webb, who was 127-of-203 passing last season for 1,564 yards and 13 touchdowns after winning the starting job in week four.

But despite the football hype, Webb’s primary sport is baseball. In fact, he was recruited by and committed to Oklahoma State University as a freshman before he had ever played a varsity minute.

“In the summer, when you’re that type of athlete, you’ve got to juggle your time between baseball and football,” said Klinck. “And he needs to do that because he excels at both. We’re happy now that it’s coming up on fall and we get him full time.”

“His command, his physicality, the way he’s grown physically. Obviously we’re looking for great things from him.”

Webb also shows strong potential as a dual threat, carrying the ball for nearly 200 yards and four touchdowns last year.

“He’s a lot faster than what people think,” said Klinck. “He definitely wants to throw, but he’s not afraid to tuck it down and put his shoulder pads down when he has to. He’s an all-around type of player and we’re looking for him to make major strides this year.”

Untested for the Sandites will be their receiving corps after graduating their top four from last season.

“Wyatt Rutledge has really come on,” said Klinck. “I think (Caleb) Goodman is going to show some things this year. It’s a bunch of guys that are unproven but we feel that they have the talent to get it done. They’ve just got to prove it on Friday night.”

Defensively, the Sandites will be returning only a handful of their top guys from last season, but Klinck expects big things nonetheless.

“This is a group that they’ve been in the system for a minute and they’re playing fast. We’re going to be aggressive this year. We think that’s kind of our mentality and our nature.”

Gatlin Gunn, Keagan Gilman, Dallas Elifrits, Waylon Jeffers, and Alex Dudley are all expected to make a big impact as some of the top returning tacklers from last season.

As for the leadership this season, the team captains will be Harris, Sims, Dudley, and Gillman.

“We vote team captains. I allow the players to do that,” said Klinck. “They’ve done an unbelievable job. When it’s hot, when guys want to get testy, they’re the ones stepping in saying ‘we can’t be doing this, we’re on the same team.’”

“At the end of practice Alex Dudley’s telling all the scouting guys ‘thank you so much for helping us, it’s a big deal what you’re doing.’ It’s the old adage, ‘when players lead, those are the best teams.’ They’re doing it right now; it’s exciting.”

Sand Springs is hoping to #Sellout97 in what would be the first sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium since it was expanded to a 6,700-seat capacity in 2007. Fans who don’t like crowds will be able to tune in on Yurview (Cox Channel 3). The game will start late at 8:00 p.m. to help dodge the sun.

Obituary: John Ray White

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John Ray White of Sand Springs, Oklahoma went to be with our Lord on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, at the age of 73. Viewing will be held from 12:00 - 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 25, 2023, followed by Rosary Service at 6:00 p.m. at Trout Funeral Home in Ponca City, Oklahoma. The Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, June 26, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Tonkawa, OK. Interment will be at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, 1206 Waverly, Ponca City, OK. following the mass. Pallbearers include: son Brian White, sons-in-law Michael Cabe and Ben Gislason, and nephews Reece Simpson, Owen Simpson, and Kort Davis.

John was born on August 22, 1949 to Fred White and Martina White in Ponca City, Oklahoma. He attended Washington Elementary School and graduated from Ponca City High School in 1967. He was active in American Legion baseball, and a member of the 3rd place team at State. John served a four-year tour of duty with the United States Navy at the Naval Air Station in Key West, Florida. He achieved AT3 rank status and was a member of the squadron softball league. When his service was complete, he attended Northern Oklahoma College where "Skeeter" played shortstop for the All-Conference NOC Varsity baseball team, and met his future bride. He married Susan Schiltz on August 15, 1975 in Ponca City, Oklahoma. They went on to Oklahoma State University where John graduated with a degree in Business Administration in 1977. The couple moved to Tulsa and subsequently Sand Springs where they raised three children.

John had a long, successful career in the chemical distribution industry. He started out at Kimbell Chemical and then worked for Advance Chemical as Account Manager. He was promoted to Branch Manager at the Summit division of HCI which then became Brenntag, located at the Port of Catoosa where he found a love for AJ’s Heavenly Pizza. He retired as VP of Sales from Brainerd Chemical in 2016. John enjoyed softball league, golf, fishing, cooking his specialties, playing pool with his grandkids, and in former years he loved showing his 2007 Shelby GT Mustang and racing his Mazda Miata. John and Susan enjoyed attending OSU football games and wrestling duals, playing card games with friends and family, and attending concerts. His orneriness and sense of humor were two of his most endearing qualities. John was a faithful servant of the Lord and a member of Holy Family Cathedral in Tulsa.

John was preceded in death by his parents Fred and Martina White. John is survived by his lifelong love, Susan; his treasured children, including daughter Tressa Gislason (Ben) of Charleston, SC, Megan Cabe (Michael) of Sand Springs, OK, and son Brian White of Denver, CO; his precious grandchildren, including Vera and Raef Gislason, and Macey Cabe; his beloved sister Karen Kay Long (Gary) of OKC, OK and cousins Steve Stewart (Donna), Jan Wilson (Jeff), Cindy Fein (Lowell), and Sheryl Lippert (Doyle); and many cherished sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews and extended family; and finally, his faithful canine companion, Chip.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in John's honor to the Wounded Warrior Project, a cause which was very dear to his heart.