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Michael Ray “Mike” Custer, 82, of Collinsville, Oklahoma, passed away on November 19, 2025. He was born on March 6, 1943, in Dayton, Ohio, to Raymond Ernest Custer and Phyllis Marie (Sweiger) Custer. As a young boy, he spent countless days with his paternal grandmother, Zulah Victoria (West) Custer, who affectionately called him “Mickey.” He adored her, and their bond remained one of his most treasured memories. His childhood was marked by frequent moves for his father’s work, and he attended 16 different schools across multiple states, an experience that shaped the kind of father he later chose to be.
Determined and eager to serve, Mike joined the United States Air Force as soon as he could. He served in the Vietnam War as a photo intelligence analyst, a role in which he excelled. In 1966, at the National Rifle Matches in Camp Perry, Ohio, he met the love of his life, Dorothy Ann Lawrence. They married on September 16, 1967, in Mayetta, Kansas. During his Air Force career, Mike distinguished himself as an expert marksman, earned the highest score on the photo intelligence test, and was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal. After eight years of service and achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant, he chose to leave the military to give his children the stability he never had. While he was deployed in Vietnam, Mike and Dorothy’s son Tony was born, and Mike often joked that he was still waiting on the Red Cross to notify him of his son’s birth.
He attended Oklahoma State University in Oklahoma City, where he earned his degree in Civil Engineering, and later completed a degree in Accounting at Central State University in Edmond. He worked for City Service Gas in Oklahoma City and later retired from Kaiser Francis Oil Company in Tulsa, OK, where he served as a software developer.
Mike loved sharing stories from his adventurous younger years from racing cars in Riverside, California, meeting Paul Newman, and the time he briefly dated the daughter of one of his commanders, who happened to be Sharon Tate. He spoke often about surviving the Vietnam jungle and the lessons, humor, and grit he carried with him from that chapter of his life. He was a proud member of Mensa, a devoted solver of cryptograms, and a lifelong lover of books and learning. His mind was always in motion, and he wasn’t content unless it was working overtime. He loved spending time with his family, playing cards (and being a sore loser), and watching his Cowboys football (both Oklahoma State and Dallas).
Mike leaves behind his beloved wife of 58 years, Dorothy; his son and daughter-in-law, Tony and Kylie Custer of Skiatook; his daughter, Michelle Bates of Collinsville; his two cherished grandchildren, Rebecca Custer and Vincent Bates; and his sister and brother-in-law, Tina and John Baker of Wichita, KS.
Mike was cremated, and his ashes will be laid to rest at Fort Gibson National Cemetery in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. The family will gather privately at a later date to honor his life.
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