John Raymond Utter went to be with the Lord Oct. 7, 2010, in Shawnee at the age of 94 after a struggle with cancer.
A lifelong resident of Shawnee, he was born April 19, 1916, to W. C. Utter and Mamie Jane Lovins Utter. On June 2, 1940, he married Louise Barker. To this union one daughter was born. On March 23, 1945, he married Lorene Knoles. To this union two daughters and one son were born.
Raymond lived on the farm in the same house he was born in, southwest of Shawnee. He graduated from Shawnee High School in 1935. He commuted to OU in Norman in 1940 on gravel roads in a 1922 Studebaker that he still owns. Prior to the outbreak of WWII, he worked at the navel air station in San Diego where he made tail hooks for aircraft. After the outbreak of WWII, he transferred to Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City, where he was a test pilot on C-47's for Douglas Aircraft.
After WWII, he operated the family farm along with buying, selling and trading automobiles of all vintages. He became the first regional executive of the Oklahoma region of the Sports Car Club of America. He was active in the Horseless Carriage Club of America, Classic Car Club of America and Rolls Royce Owners Club. He hosted many automobile club events at his home. He was a Studebaker, Packard, Mercedes and AC dealer in Austin, Texas, from 1956-1958. At that time he serviced the late President Lyndon B. Johnson's automobiles. After operating the farm for several years and graduating from OBU in 1965, he went to work for his good friend, Jimmy Leake, and helped him set up his antique car museum in Muskogee.
Raymond was curator of the Galveston Museum of Transportation in the late 1960s. Following that period, he helped design and build Astro World Park in Houston. He later worked for the Texas State Parks and Wildlife Department where he designed and built displays for state parks. Among those were the Vernon Hogue plantation in east Texas and the restoration of the Texas State steam railroad, which runs between Palestine and Rusk in northeast Texas. He helped maintain several large automobile collections throughout the United States. In 1982, he began publishing Ray's Auction Record, a publication of the auction market for collectible automobiles. Governor Frank Keating proclaimed Feb. 27, 1999, Raymond Utter Day throughout the state for his contributions to the collector car industry. He was on the cradle roll of the Wesley United Methodist Church in Shawnee where he was a lifelong member and served as a soloist.
Preceding him in death were his parents, three brothers and three sisters.
Raymond is survived by his wife of 65 years, Lorene of the home; three daughters and sons-in-law, Joana and Larry Pope of Alamogordo, N.M., Judy and Lee Wiley of Luther, and Mary and Bill Bennett of Shawnee; one son and daughter-in-law, Ray and Marci Utter of Shawnee; 11 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter due in February; sister-in-law and husband Elaine and Jim McBee of Shawnee; numerous nieces and nephews; and many dear friends and church family.
Visitation will be 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010, at Cooper Funeral Home. Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2010, at Wesley United Methodist Church with Kris Steele and Jim Hewett officiating. Burial will follow at Resthaven Cemetery under the direction of Cooper Funeral Home. To share memorials or to sign the guest book online, go to www.cooperfuneral.com.
A lifelong resident of Shawnee, he was born April 19, 1916, to W. C. Utter and Mamie Jane Lovins Utter. On June 2, 1940, he married Louise Barker. To this union one daughter was born. On March 23, 1945, he married Lorene Knoles. To this union two daughters and one son were born.
Raymond lived on the farm in the same house he was born in, southwest of Shawnee. He graduated from Shawnee High School in 1935. He commuted to OU in Norman in 1940 on gravel roads in a 1922 Studebaker that he still owns. Prior to the outbreak of WWII, he worked at the navel air station in San Diego where he made tail hooks for aircraft. After the outbreak of WWII, he transferred to Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City, where he was a test pilot on C-47's for Douglas Aircraft.
After WWII, he operated the family farm along with buying, selling and trading automobiles of all vintages. He became the first regional executive of the Oklahoma region of the Sports Car Club of America. He was active in the Horseless Carriage Club of America, Classic Car Club of America and Rolls Royce Owners Club. He hosted many automobile club events at his home. He was a Studebaker, Packard, Mercedes and AC dealer in Austin, Texas, from 1956-1958. At that time he serviced the late President Lyndon B. Johnson's automobiles. After operating the farm for several years and graduating from OBU in 1965, he went to work for his good friend, Jimmy Leake, and helped him set up his antique car museum in Muskogee.
Raymond was curator of the Galveston Museum of Transportation in the late 1960s. Following that period, he helped design and build Astro World Park in Houston. He later worked for the Texas State Parks and Wildlife Department where he designed and built displays for state parks. Among those were the Vernon Hogue plantation in east Texas and the restoration of the Texas State steam railroad, which runs between Palestine and Rusk in northeast Texas. He helped maintain several large automobile collections throughout the United States. In 1982, he began publishing Ray's Auction Record, a publication of the auction market for collectible automobiles. Governor Frank Keating proclaimed Feb. 27, 1999, Raymond Utter Day throughout the state for his contributions to the collector car industry. He was on the cradle roll of the Wesley United Methodist Church in Shawnee where he was a lifelong member and served as a soloist.
Preceding him in death were his parents, three brothers and three sisters.
Raymond is survived by his wife of 65 years, Lorene of the home; three daughters and sons-in-law, Joana and Larry Pope of Alamogordo, N.M., Judy and Lee Wiley of Luther, and Mary and Bill Bennett of Shawnee; one son and daughter-in-law, Ray and Marci Utter of Shawnee; 11 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter due in February; sister-in-law and husband Elaine and Jim McBee of Shawnee; numerous nieces and nephews; and many dear friends and church family.
Visitation will be 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010, at Cooper Funeral Home. Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2010, at Wesley United Methodist Church with Kris Steele and Jim Hewett officiating. Burial will follow at Resthaven Cemetery under the direction of Cooper Funeral Home. To share memorials or to sign the guest book online, go to www.cooperfuneral.com.
John Raymond Utter went to be with the Lord Oct. 7, 2010, in Shawnee at the age of 94 after a struggle with cancer.
A lifelong resident of Shawnee, he was born April 19, 1916, to W. C. Utter and Mamie Jane Lovins Utter. On June 2, 1940, he married Louise Barker. To this union one daughter was born. On March 23, 1945, he married Lorene Knoles. To this union two daughters and one son were born.
Raymond lived on the farm in the same house he was born in, southwest of Shawnee. He graduated from Shawnee High School in 1935. He commuted to OU in Norman in 1940 on gravel roads in a 1922 Studebaker that he still owns. Prior to the outbreak of WWII, he worked at the navel air station in San Diego where he made tail hooks for aircraft. After the outbreak of WWII, he transferred to Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City, where he was a test pilot on C-47's for Douglas Aircraft.
After WWII, he operated the family farm along with buying, selling and trading automobiles of all vintages. He became the first regional executive of the Oklahoma region of the Sports Car Club of America. He was active in the Horseless Carriage Club of America, Classic Car Club of America and Rolls Royce Owners Club. He hosted many automobile club events at his home. He was a Studebaker, Packard, Mercedes and AC dealer in Austin, Texas, from 1956-1958. At that time he serviced the late President Lyndon B. Johnson's automobiles. After operating the farm for several years and graduating from OBU in 1965, he went to work for his good friend, Jimmy Leake, and helped him set up his antique car museum in Muskogee.
Raymond was curator of the Galveston Museum of Transportation in the late 1960s. Following that period, he helped design and build Astro World Park in Houston. He later worked for the Texas State Parks and Wildlife Department where he designed and built displays for state parks. Among those were the Vernon Hogue plantation in east Texas and the restoration of the Texas State steam railroad, which runs between Palestine and Rusk in northeast Texas. He helped maintain several large automobile collections throughout the United States. In 1982, he began publishing Ray's Auction Record, a publication of the auction market for collectible automobiles. Governor Frank Keating proclaimed Feb. 27, 1999, Raymond Utter Day throughout the state for his contributions to the collector car industry. He was on the cradle roll of the Wesley United Methodist Church in Shawnee where he was a lifelong member and served as a soloist.
Preceding him in death were his parents, three brothers and three sisters.
Raymond is survived by his wife of 65 years, Lorene of the home; three daughters and sons-in-law, Joana and Larry Pope of Alamogordo, N.M., Judy and Lee Wiley of Luther, and Mary and Bill Bennett of Shawnee; one son and daughter-in-law, Ray and Marci Utter of Shawnee; 11 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter due in February; sister-in-law and husband Elaine and Jim McBee of Shawnee; numerous nieces and nephews; and many dear friends and church family.
Visitation will be 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010, at Cooper Funeral Home. Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2010, at Wesley United Methodist Church with Kris Steele and Jim Hewett officiating. Burial will follow at Resthaven Cemetery under the direction of Cooper Funeral Home. To share memorials or to sign the guest book online, go to www.cooperfuneral.com.
A lifelong resident of Shawnee, he was born April 19, 1916, to W. C. Utter and Mamie Jane Lovins Utter. On June 2, 1940, he married Louise Barker. To this union one daughter was born. On March 23, 1945, he married Lorene Knoles. To this union two daughters and one son were born.
Raymond lived on the farm in the same house he was born in, southwest of Shawnee. He graduated from Shawnee High School in 1935. He commuted to OU in Norman in 1940 on gravel roads in a 1922 Studebaker that he still owns. Prior to the outbreak of WWII, he worked at the navel air station in San Diego where he made tail hooks for aircraft. After the outbreak of WWII, he transferred to Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City, where he was a test pilot on C-47's for Douglas Aircraft.
After WWII, he operated the family farm along with buying, selling and trading automobiles of all vintages. He became the first regional executive of the Oklahoma region of the Sports Car Club of America. He was active in the Horseless Carriage Club of America, Classic Car Club of America and Rolls Royce Owners Club. He hosted many automobile club events at his home. He was a Studebaker, Packard, Mercedes and AC dealer in Austin, Texas, from 1956-1958. At that time he serviced the late President Lyndon B. Johnson's automobiles. After operating the farm for several years and graduating from OBU in 1965, he went to work for his good friend, Jimmy Leake, and helped him set up his antique car museum in Muskogee.
Raymond was curator of the Galveston Museum of Transportation in the late 1960s. Following that period, he helped design and build Astro World Park in Houston. He later worked for the Texas State Parks and Wildlife Department where he designed and built displays for state parks. Among those were the Vernon Hogue plantation in east Texas and the restoration of the Texas State steam railroad, which runs between Palestine and Rusk in northeast Texas. He helped maintain several large automobile collections throughout the United States. In 1982, he began publishing Ray's Auction Record, a publication of the auction market for collectible automobiles. Governor Frank Keating proclaimed Feb. 27, 1999, Raymond Utter Day throughout the state for his contributions to the collector car industry. He was on the cradle roll of the Wesley United Methodist Church in Shawnee where he was a lifelong member and served as a soloist.
Preceding him in death were his parents, three brothers and three sisters.
Raymond is survived by his wife of 65 years, Lorene of the home; three daughters and sons-in-law, Joana and Larry Pope of Alamogordo, N.M., Judy and Lee Wiley of Luther, and Mary and Bill Bennett of Shawnee; one son and daughter-in-law, Ray and Marci Utter of Shawnee; 11 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter due in February; sister-in-law and husband Elaine and Jim McBee of Shawnee; numerous nieces and nephews; and many dear friends and church family.
Visitation will be 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010, at Cooper Funeral Home. Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2010, at Wesley United Methodist Church with Kris Steele and Jim Hewett officiating. Burial will follow at Resthaven Cemetery under the direction of Cooper Funeral Home. To share memorials or to sign the guest book online, go to www.cooperfuneral.com.
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