Wilford Lamar "Bill" Teel

© Examiner-Enterprise, Bartlesville, OK
July 2 to August 1, 2012
Submitted by: Jo Aguirre

Wilford Lamar "Bill" Teel, 87, of Nowata, Oklahoma, died early Friday morning, June 29, 2012 at Green Country Village, Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

Bill was born December 15, 1924 at Clanton, Alabama to Jessie Emmett and Annie Olive (McEwen) Teel. After high school, Bill became a member of the U.S. Air Force, serving as a pilot for 27 years. During his military service, Bill was stationed in Berlin, Germany, Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City and Tokyo, Japan. While serving as Pilot Training Officer in Laredo, Texas, he was given a six month leave to complete college. He received his Bachelor's Degree from the University of Nebraska – Omaha in 1957. In 1962, Bill went to language school in Washington, D.C., before being stationed in Bogota, Colombia as Training Officer for the Colombian Air Force. During Vietnam, Bill flew C133 Transports out of Dover Air Force Base. In 1969, Bill retired from the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel and moved to Nowata, where he owned and operated Lora's Flowers for several years. He was a member of VFW, American Legion, Nowata Masonic Lodge and attended Big Cabin Baptist Church, as well as Nowata's First United Methodist Church. Bill enjoyed hunting, fishing and gardening. He will be remembered as a kind person who enjoyed people and whom children loved.

Survivors include two sons, Woody Teel and his wife, Liz of Nowata and Tom Teel and his wife, Linda of Big Cabin, Oklahoma; a step-daughter, Cyrina Paige of Nowata; six grandchildren, Todd Teel, Christy Taylor, Phillip Teel, Patrick Teel, Timothy Teel and Benjamin Teel; one step-granddaughter, Candy Murnan and eight great-grandchildren. Bill was preceded in death by four wives, Patsy Marilyn Mills, Pauline Ewing, Emma Lou Slocum and Helen Carter. He was also preceded in death by his parents and by three brothers, Herbert Roland Teel, McErwin Teel and Willis Aubrey Teel.

Funeral services will be held 10 a.m., Tuesday, July 3, 2012 at Benjamin Funeral Chapel with Pastor Cheryl Newton officiating. Interment will follow in Nowata Memorial Park Cemetery, under the direction of Benjamin Funeral Service. Full military honors will be accorded Mr. Teel at the graveside. Visitation will be Monday, 9am-9pm with the family receiving friends at the funeral home from 6-8pm. Donations may be made to DAV or any veterans' organization in memory of Bill Teel. Online condolences may be left at www.honoringmemories.com.

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