Woodward County Obituary
Elmwood Cemetery

© Billings Funeral Home
WOODWARD, WOODWARD CO, OK
(permission granted)
Submitted by: Ann Weber

LES MARLATT

2 Sep 1935 - 3 Jul 2017

Funeral: 2:00 PM Friday, July 7th, 2017 - Woodward Church of Christ

Interment: Friday, July 7th, 2017 - Elmwood Cemetery

Lesly Allen Marlatt entered this world on September 2, 1935, in Vinita, Oklahoma to Orville Edward Marlatt and Barbara Elva Crites Marlatt. He departed this life on July 3, 2017, in Edmond, Oklahoma. A celebration of Lesly’s life will be held on Friday, July 7, at 2pm, at the Woodward Church of Christ under the guidance of Billings Funeral Home.

Lesly was the youngest of four boys, and was raised near Ringwood, Oklahoma, where he learned the value of hard work and determination. He attended Ringwood High School where he met his true love and life partner, Betty Geraldine Lippard, while working at the Lovinger Service Station. Betty and Lesly were united in matrimony on July 13, 1952, in Ringwood. They moved to Hobbs, New Mexico for a few months before returning to Alva, Oklahoma so Lesly could attend college. After a brief stint in school, Lesly and Betty moved to Enid, Oklahoma, where he accepted a position at Owens Automotive Supply. It was there he learned the tricks of the trade, and honed his skills as a salesman. While in Enid, he and Betty welcomed children to the family with the births of Steven Allen in 1954, and Ricky Lynn in 1957.

As a salesman with Owens Supply, Lesly moved his family to Woodward, Oklahoma. Then in 1964, he opened Marlatt Auto Supply Store with the financial assistance of his close friend and mentor, Clarence McPherson. Lesly located the business at 424 Main Street, and within six short months, he repaid Mr. McPherson. Later, he built a new store at 2024 Main Street, and eventually expanded into Laverne, Kingfisher, Alva, Hennessey and Enid, Oklahoma and also into Liberal, Kansas. Lesly was a skilled businessman who understood the value of customer service and loyalty from the very beginning. He was loyal to his customers and to his employees, many of whom spent their entire careers working for him. A generous, considerate boss, he treated his employees exactly the way he wanted to be treated.

Lesly and Betty’s family continued to grow while they lived in Woodward with the addition of Timothy Dale in 1960, and David Lee in 1962. But somehow they knew their family was not yet complete. In 1967, they welcomed 10-month-old Leslie Delaine from Korea, into their lives and then in 1972, 18-month-old Geri Danielle, also from Korea, joined the family.

A great business leader and family man, Lesly was also committed to his community, particularly to the young people. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge as a 32° Mason, and was extremely active in the early years of Kids Inc. Lesly was an avid sports fan, both as a player and a spectator. Many young men benefited from his coaching and mentoring, and he never forgot those who played for him. Always ready for new challenges, Lesly earned his pilot’s license and used his plane to transport his boys to and from college. He was an incredibly generous man, and provided for his family and those he cared about without seeking recognition or fame.

Above all, Lesly was devoted to God and to his church, the Woodward Church of Christ. Serving as an Elder for decades, he touched many lives and was a positive influence on many, particularly the children. Lesly gave a Bible to every newly baptized church member, and was instrumental in creating the church’s bus ministry in the 1970s. He started teaching Children’s Bible Hour in 1971, and did not stop until 2016, accumulating more than 45 years of teaching God’s Word to children. Not a Christmas went by without him providing sacks of goodies for all the children in the congregation. In addition to Lesly’s local church work, he took his humanitarianism to South Africa, completing two missionary trips in the early 1980s.

Residents of Woodward County for 58 years, Lesly and Betty moved to Oklahoma City in Fall 2016. He is preceded in death by his parents, and his brothers, Orville Eugene Marlatt, Charles Leroy Marlatt and Devert Leon Marlatt; two sisters-in-law, June Marlatt and Pat Marlatt; and his grandson, Steven Allen Marlatt II.

He is survived by his wife, Betty of the home; his sons, Steve Marlatt and Julie Marlatt of Woodward; Rick Marlatt and John Carroccio of Woodbridge, Virginia; Tim and Kim Marlatt of Tampa, Florida; and David and Denise Marlatt of Katy, Texas; his daughters, Leslie and Darrel Davis of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Geri and Eric Cope of St. Louis, Missouri; 14 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren with an 11th due in November; one great-great-grandchild; and one sister-in-law, Edna Mae Marlatt of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He touched the hearts and lives of many over the years and will be remembered always.