John Wilson Triplett, age 68, of Oklahoma City, passed away suddenly at his home Friday, August 31, 2007.
He was born in Chickasha, Oklahoma, to Della Bessie Mae Hiatt Triplett and John W. Triplett, Sr.
His grandfather was Aaron. A. ("Double-A") Hiatt, who was one of the founders of the town of Verden, OK, and its newspaper the Verden News.
John received his B.S. Degree in Economics at Oklahoma City University. Later in life, he pursued his Master of Education at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond where he graduated in 1994 at the age of 56.
Earlier he served in the Peace Corps in the Philippines in the mid-1960's. In his mid-career, he was a surveyor in California and later an independent Petroleum Landman in Oklahoma until he switched to teaching in the mid- 1980's.
In 1986 John joined Oklahoma State University-OKC as a Computer Science Instructor. Soon he was also assigned to teach his first love, Economics and Statistics. In 1997, he developed and introduced a new Microeconomics course.
John was retired from Oklahoma State University/OKC. By the time he retired from the University in 2001, the courses he introduced had expanded 10-fold in enrollment. He was praised by his University colleagues as having "left our college, our division, and his department a better place."
Survivors include his wife Karen, step-children Cyndie Bohannan of Midwest City, Ron Boutilier of Las Vegas, Nevada and Sarah Figarola of Tullahoma, TN; his cousin and dear friend, Allen Spurgeon, of Edmond, OK, cousin, Charlene Kaster of Tulsa, OK; and two step-granddaughters that he loved dearly, Nicole and Samantha Brannen.
Viewing will be Tuesday, noon to 9 p.m. at Baggerly Funeral Home, Edmond, OK. Services will be Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Baggerly Funeral Home, Edmond, OK.
Donations may be made to City Rescue Mission of Oklahoma City (www.cityrescue.org), and/or Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma (www.regionalfoodbank.org).