John Richard Rook was born 26 Feb 1945 and he went to meet his lord Oct 9 2024.
John was born in Elk City, Oklahoma and grew up just down the road in Cheyenne, Oklahoma. John was raised by his grandparents and his dad through his teen years. His grandparents owned the Rook Theatre in Cheyenne and John learned to run the film projectors at the very young age of 10 years old. He then helped his grandparents & dad run the theatre through most of his teen years.
John married Sharon Barkely on October 18th,1951. Over the next couple of years he worked at Savage Oil & Gas as well as Bradshaw Brothers feed store. They had their first child Deborah Ann Rook in 1962. Three years later 1965, John accepted a job as the manager of the Wyoming Drive-In Movie Theatre in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Their second child Bobby Darrel Rook was born in 1966. John ran multiple drive-in theatres in the Albuquerque area for over 4 years until 1969 when they moved to Oklahoma City. John started a new job with AT&T in December of 1969 where he spent 34 years at& retired from.
John was a volunteer at heart from early on. He coached little league football, & baseball for 8 years and even volunteered after his own son was no longer playing. He donated blood all the years he was @AT&T and was very big on supporting the American Red Cross. He volunteered downtown when the Okc Bombing happened. After retiring from AT&T in 2003, He took a brief break from work, but in May of 2005 he became a member of the Kiwanis Club of Mustang, Ok. He became the Membership Chairman in 2007-2008 and served as the local president in 2009-2010. He served as an active member through 2019.
His love of sports and the outdoors started at a young age. He fished and hunted with his childhood friends. He played basketball, track & baseball into his high school years as well as fast pitch men’s softball after high school.. He loved his Oklahoma Sooners. “Boomer”
He very much enjoyed watching and supporting all his grandchildren & great grandchildren in their sports and school activities. He was a great Papa & Grandpa.
He will be dearly missed by his family and friends.
He was preceded in death by his Grandparents Elmer D. Rook and Bertha Turner, parents Richard Roland Rook and Oma Lucille Williams, His Uncle Charles D. Rook and Aunt Darlene Rook, Grandsons Christopher Lyle Beuchaw and Greg Murphy.
He is survived by his wife, Sharon Rook of the home, two children Deborah Ann Murphy and husband Grover of Dibble Ok, Bobby Darrel Rook and his wife Cynthia of Olathe KS, three grandsons Dalton Rook and wife Jessica, Treston Rook and Abby, Grover J. Murphy and wife Meleaia, Granddaughter-in-law Morgan Beuchaw. One granddaughter Patty Jo Murphy and husband Barrett, and seven great-grandchildren. His sister Deign Rook, two cousins Cherri Nordstrom and Bob Rook and a host of family and friends.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to OK Kids Korral @ www.tobykeithfoundation.org, or to
your local pet rescue. Graveside Services Monday, October 14, 2024 at 11:00, Mustang, OK Cemetery.