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It is with deep sorrow and much love that we mourn the passing of Jessie Lloyd Starkey Jr., of Claremore, Oklahoma, who left us peacefully at his home, "Starkey Hill," surrounded by his family, on July 7, 2026, at the age of 95, following a brief illness.
Born on October 3, 1930, in Harrison, Arkansas, Lloyd's life was an extraordinary American journey. Growing up in the hills of the Ozarks, his early years were rooted in a bygone era; he lived in a cabin by the creek with no electricity, where his family gathered water from a natural spring and bathed in the creek. Amidst the hardships of the 1930s Dust Bowl era, his family traveled out west in a Model A car to pick fruit in California and Oregon. It was during this migration that he saw running water come out of a hydrant for the very first time.
As a teenager, Lloyd worked on the great dam projects in Washington State and Oregon, helping to build the historic infrastructure of the Pacific Northwest before returning to Arkansas to attend barber college. In 1955, he moved to Claremore, Oklahoma, and began a distinguished career in aerospace at McDonnell Douglas Aircraft, where he worked until his retirement in 1993. During the height of the Cold War and beyond, he lent his skills to top-secret projects and legendary aircraft, working on military icons like the B-47 Stratojet, B-66 Destroyer, F-4 Phantom, and F-15 Eagle.
Shortly after moving to Oklahoma, he met the love of his life. He and his beloved wife, Mary Lou Dollard, were married in Claremore in 1957, beginning a beautiful journey together that spanned nearly seven decades in the community they loved. Lloyd was a faithful member of the community and a member of Faith Baptist Church in Claremore.
An outdoorsman to his core, Lloyd was bowhunting long before the invention of the compound bow. But anyone who knew Lloyd knew his true love was crappie fishing on Oologah Lake. In 1969, he paid $150 for his lifetime hunting and fishing license, and it’s safe to say he got his money's worth. Whether he was bowhunting or spending a quiet morning on the lake waiting for a bite, outdoors was his sanctuary. He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather who passed down a legacy of resilience, incredible history, and an enduring spirit of the outdoors.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Lou Starkey (Dollard); his sons, David Wayne Starkey, and Jerry Lee Starkey and his wife Anya; and his sister, Wanda Rea and her husband Ramond. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Rosemary Starkey. Lloyd leaves behind a legacy through his treasured grandchildren: Samantha Wilson and her husband Caleb, Tyler Starkey and his wife Abbie, Zachary Starkey and his wife Katie, Kimberlynn Denn and her husband Tyler, Tristan Starkey, Casey Starkey, Michael Lindsey, Dillan Starkey, and Demetrius Cummings; as well as a loving extended family of great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and friends. He was preceded in death by his beloved son, Darren Lee Starkey; his parents, Lloyd Starkey Sr. and Hazel Starkey; and his brother, James "Spat" Starkey.
No services are planned.
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