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© Marietta Monitor
4 October 2024, Page 4
Source: © Watts Funeral Home
Services will be at 10:00 AM on Friday, October 4, 2024, at the Flanagan-Watts Funeral Home in Marietta with Dr. David Lange and Richard Barker officiating.
Interment will be in Lakeview Cemetery following the services.
Visitation hours will be
observed on Thursday, October 3, 2024, from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM.
Survivors include his wife, Rosemary; son from a previous marriage,
Kenny Ray Testerman of Greenville, OK; grandchildren, Stacy Briggs and
spouse Will Briggs of Marietta, Brian Coble and wife Mallorie of
Strafford, MO, Elsie Testerman of Lafayette, LA, and John D. Alexander
Testerman and wife Rachel of Marietta; great-grandchildren, Emily
Briggs, Ryder Briggs, Chloe Coble, Ember Gail Coble, Ashbye Testerman,
Jameson Testerman, Annie Lou Testerman, Ava Alexander and Arya
Alexander; stepdaughter, Stephanie Denton and companion Mike Meaux of
Scott, LA; stepson, D'Wayne Denton and wife Tara of Holcomb, MS;
step-grandson, Corey Hastings and wife Angie of Lafayette, LA;
step-granddaughters, Victoria Pierce and spouse Joshua of Ramstein,
Germany, Christina Ganier and spouse Mike of Spring, TX, and Elizabeth
Martinez and spouse Nate of Holcomb, MS; step-great-grandchildren, Adele
Hastings, Luca Hastings, Michael Pierce, Matthew Pierce; Christian
Ganier, Nikolai Ganier and Maverick Martinez.
Jack was preceded in death by his parents, Jesse Dutton and Lillie Ann
Holt Testerman; brother Kenneth Testerman and wife Dorothy Ann Hicks;
sister, Aurette (Tootsie) Testerman Evans and spouse Trevenor; daughter,
Sherri Gail Testerman Coble; and son, Jay Darrell Testerman.
Jack was born December 13, 1933, in the Greenville community of Love
County, OK. He received his high school diploma in 1951 from Greenville
School. He then enrolled and graduated from Murray State College in
Tishomingo, OK. After graduation he moved to Stillwater, OK, where he
attended Oklahoma A&M College, now known as Oklahoma State University.
In 1955, he completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics; and in
1957, completed his Master of Science degree in statistics at Oklahoma
State University.
He then accepted a position in Tulsa, OK, with the Carter Oil Company
which later became Jersey Production Research Laboratories. Here he
worked in the research facilities until September 1962, at which time he
began working in research for Phillips Petroleum Co. in Bartlesville,
OK, until 1963.
In 1963, he accepted a professional teaching position at the University
of Southwestern Louisiana, which later became the University of
Louisiana, Lafayette, LA. There he taught courses in statistics and
computer science, while developing a Master of Science and a Ph.D.
program in statistics. Both programs were approved by the Louisiana
State Board of Regents and initiated by the University in 1967. During
this time, Jack also did statistical consulting with area companies and
industry. In 1965, he became the Registrar of the University, while
conducting with his duties as a teaching Professor. He pioneered
computer scheduling of classes so students could avoid long lines when
registering for courses each semester. In 1969, Jack took sabbatical
leave to pursue a Ph.D. degree at the University of Texas-Austin,
completing coursework in 1970 and obtaining his Ph.D. degree in 1972. In
1970, Jack returned to the University of Louisiana campus to a new
position of Director of Institutional Research. In 1972, he was selected
for the position of Vice President of University Relations and served in
that position until his early retirement in June 1984. Upon retirement,
Jack returned to his Oklahoma home to help care for his mother who had
Alzheimer's, and his brother Kenneth who had cancer.
In 1986, Southeastern Oklahoma State University (SOSU) in Durant, OK,
asked Jack to join the professional faculty of their Business School. He
accepted this position and began teaching management, marketing,
entrepreneurship, and research courses on campus. He also taught night
classes for SOSU at the Ardmore Higher Education Center. Jack served as
Director of the master's program in Business until his retirement from
SOSU. Jack loved teaching and working with students.
After retirement from SOSU, Jack became a member of the Ardmore chapter
of the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE). SCORE is a national
organization devoted to helping entrepreneurs go into business and
helping existing businesses improve. Jack was a member of numerous honor
societies, served on academic committees, and was a member of the
National Board of the American Statistical Association. He also served
on the board for the Mercy Health Love County Hospital. As Chair of the
board, Jack was instrumental in bringing telecommunications to the
hospital through the initial use of Ham radios. He also spent countless
hours on projects that brought the food pantry to fruition and another
project that was responsible for the design and placement of two above
ground F-4 rated storm shelters at the hospital, both of which were
credited for saving numerous lives during the April 2024 tornado.
Jack partnered with his brother Kenneth and his son Ken in raising
cattle on their ranch in the Greenville community from 1980 until they
sold the cattle operation in 2010.
Regardless of professional activities, Jack's family always came first.
He enjoyed taking his children fishing and letting them help with cattle
chores as well as with the myriad of activities on the ranch acreage. He
also enjoyed taking his family on summer vacations to Colorado and New
Mexico, where they visited his sister Aurette and family. All the family
was delighted in exploring mountains, old mines, and ghost towns. He and
Rosemary also liked to travel and sightsee. They would vacation by
taking unplanned driving trips throughout the state, choosing routes and
lodging at random. The highlights of these trips included visiting with
friends and relatives and viewing museums and national parks.
Jack enjoyed sports of all kinds. He played basketball, baseball, and
softball in high school. In college he took up the sport of tennis and
excelled in playing snooker at the pool hall. He organized a volleyball
league at his Tulsa research labs, and he participated in league bowling
while at the University of Louisiana.
Jack was an avid reader of books, magazines, newspapers, etc. He
instilled in his children the joy of reading. He had a large collection
of books which ranged from technical to fiction, from the profound to
the profane. He had a great sense of humor and enjoyed life to its
fullest.
Pallbearers for Jack's service are Russell Bausch, Will Briggs, Jesse
Evans, Lee Evans, Corey Hastings, and Mike Meaux.
Online condolences for the family can be left at http://www.wattsfuneralhome.com.
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