Gaylon Jackson Wakolee

September 18, 1944 ~ March 12, 2019

© Parks Brothers Funeral Service

Submitted by: Sherry Springer

Beloved friend and uncle, Gaylon Jackson Wakolee, passed away peacefully and into the arms of Our Lord on Tuesday, March 12, 2019 following a lengthy illness.

He was born on September 18, 1944 in Shawnee, Oklahoma to Glade and Rachel (née Dirt) Wakolee. Gaylon is also the grandson of Jackson and Esther (née Kakaque) Wakole, and is a direct descendent of Chief Black Hawk through Grandma Esther’s lineage.

Previously, Gaylon lived in the towns of Lawton, Catoosa and Tulsa before becoming a long-time resident of Agra. A member of the Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma, he is also a descendent of the Absentee Shawnee tribe.

Uncle Gaylon was a simple man who loved the simple pleasures of life. He immensely enjoyed the hot peppers which he would grow each year in his garden. He also loved trying his hand at growing a variety of tomatoes and other vegetables. Sometimes he was successful, other times he was not. But he was always amazed at how things turned out. Uncle Gaylon especially loved to watch college football, listen to talk radio, and even watched the Spanish telenovelas. He was an avid Oklahoma Sooners fan, and he always had an opinion on what was happening in Indian Country. In recent years, he even began to understand and enjoy the Spanish telenovela—it was one of the few television station signals he received at his rural residence. And in his younger years, Uncle Gaylon loved to spend his time fishing at the nearby small lakes and ponds. Throughout his life, his favorite companions were his dogs, Joker and Zero.

Though a man of modest means, Uncle Gaylon had a big heart. He often gave small donations to a variety of charities. However, he had a special place in his heart for Boys Town which now serves as a group home for troubled and traumatized youth. And for the last several years, he never missed sending a Christmas card with $5 to his niece—who is now a “Baby Elder”.

Gaylon is preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Venoia Wakole, Lowella “Jean” Pappan, and Virginia Fixico; and also his brothers DeLaine Wakole and Dwayne “Jay” Wakole.

He is survived by his half-siblings, Bernard Wakolee and Maxine “Carol” Wakolee; his niece, Jo Anna Fixico of Sapulpa; a nephew, Donald Fixico of Arizona; and his great-niece, Vanessa Holweg of Provo, Utah. He also leaves behind several great-great nephews and friends.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am at the Sac & Fox Nation Chapel, and graveside service and interment will immediately follow at the Wakolee Family Cemetery (just north of Shawnee) under the direction of Parks Brothers Funeral Services of Stroud.