William Enloe Heath Iii

William Enloe Heath, III, November 17, 1959 – January 16, 2014, Resident of Meeker After a courageous battle with cancer, Bill (or, as he was affectionately known since childhood, “Dub”), 54, passed away peacefully at his home outside of Meeker, Oklahoma. Bill was born in Holdenville, Oklahoma and then lived in Wetumka, Nowata and Meeker with his family. He graduated from Meeker High School, where he met his sweetheart, Sherri Randall. They were married 34 years. Bill retired from the US Navy in 2005 after serving 20 years. He was an Avionics Technician 1st Class and served as an Aircrewman on P-3’s. Duty stations included Moffett Field, California; NAS Barber’s Point, Hawaii; NAWC Point Mugu, California; NAS Keflavik, Iceland; NAS Jacksonville, Florida; NAS Sigonella, Sicily; and Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. After retiring from the Navy, Bill worked for 8 years at Exxon Mobil. Bill attended Seminole Junior College, followed by the University of Oklahoma. He remained a lifelong Sooner fan and his blood truly ran Crimson and Cream. Like his father, he enjoyed playing the trumpet in college and was honored to play the bugle at Navy Boot Camp. He was proud of the fact that this music tradition was carried on by his children. His interest in architecture led to his building a home outside of Meeker at the beginning of his marriage and then his dream home in the same area at retirement. Bill and Sherri attended First United Methodist Church of Meeker, where they were members and he briefly served as choir director. He was a member of the Meeker Masonic Lodge and a perpetual member of the Holdenville Masonic Lodge. He also enjoyed sailing in Hawaii, golfing in Scotland, and fishing in the deep seas of Iceland. Bill was one of five children born to the late William E. Jr. and Wilma (Nicar) Heath of Meeker, Oklahoma. Others who preceded him in death are his brother, Ron Dale Heath and sister, Rebecca Lynn Heath. Bill is survived by his wife, Sherri Heath, of the home; sister, Ramona Gail Rowland and husband, Harold, of Bartlesville; sister, Rita Ann Heath of Oklahoma City; his children, his pride and joy: daughter, Julie Anna Jones and husband, David, of Moore, son, William Enloe Heath IV of Norman, daughter, Diana Ashlee Smothers and husband, Corey, of Shawnee, and daughter, Ann Tiger Lockhart and husband, Jeremiah, of Shawnee; nephew, Christopher Dale Heath and wife, Amy, of Pflugerville, Texas; three grandsons, Scott, Austin, and Shane Jones of Moore; and in-laws, David and Dorothy Randall of Meeker. Friends and family are invited to attend a memorial service at 10:00 AM on Monday, January 20, 2014, at First United Methodist Church of Meeker, 4344 E. Highway 62, Meeker, Oklahoma 74855. A private family burial will be held in Holdenville at a later date. The family requests donations be made in Bill’s name to the wonderful people who gave such wonderful care to Bill in his time of need at Heartland Home Care & Hospice Services, 2802 N. Kickapoo, Shawnee, OK 74804, www.heartlandhomehealth.com or to the Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation, P.O. Box 442, Needham, MA 02494, www.accrf.org.