Billy Earl Carper

Services for Billy Earl “Bill” Carper will be held 2:00 PM, Thursday, January 28, 2021 at the First Baptist Church in Davis, with Pastor Jimmy Honeycutt officiating.

Bill was born March 10, 1944 in Wetumka, OK to the late Nick Lucas and Madge Marie (Ray) Carper. He died on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 in Ardmore, at the age of 76 years, 10 months and 19 days. Bill and the former Ms. Mary Leah Suther were married on January 1, 1965 in Sulphur. From this marriage was born three children, Christi, Billy James and Nicole.

Bill grew up in Hughes County, graduating from Wetumka High School, class of 1962. During his teenage years Bill joined the Army National Guard unit at Allen, OK. He spent five years in the guards earning the title of Second Lieutenant. Following high school, Bill attended East Central University, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. He completed his practice teaching at Roff, OK in 1967. On January 1st, 1968 he was hired by Davis, Ok Public Schools and taught for 34 years. He retired in May of 2002.

In Bill’s early teaching career, Bill taught science, as well as coaching a boys’ basketball team. He then devoted his time to teaching middle school math. Bill was chosen as Teacher of the Year by his peers in 1990. In addition to his teaching duties, he drove a school bus. Bill was an excellent teacher. He respected his students and in return, he was highly respected by his students.

While teaching Bill worked for Dale’s Lumber Company and continued to work when the Dale’s sold the lumber yard to Gordon White. After retiring from teaching, he worked for Gordon White Lumber Co., in Davis, retiring from there in 2018. Bill was never one to sit idle. He possessed great carpentry skills and was always working on something for himself or others around the community. Bill was pretty much a “jack of all trade.” He was an avid reader, always having something in hand to read. He enjoyed fishing and loved children.

Bill, better known my many as Mr. Carper or Coach C., will forever be remembered as a very kind man, eager to help students learn; and of course, that infamous pipe he was either smoking or had sticking out of his shirt pocket. Not only was Bill kind to students he was also kind to many elderly ladies in the community. He would take them to the grocery store or have his wife call to see if they needed food from the store then deliver it to them. He was often seen on a neighbor’s rooftop replacing shingles or helping them in other ways. Many times, he would wave to a total stranger while he was driving down the street. When asked, “Who was that..?” He would answer, “It does not cost me a thing to be friendly or neighborly.”

Bill Carper was a quiet mild-mannered man, but little did anyone know he was a practical joker. One example was he was guilty of replacing a burned-out light from the overhead projector that was stored in the teacher’s lounge. One of his fellow teachers would replace the burned-out light, but instead of throwing it away she would put the bulb back in the drawer. When she returned the projector Bill would wait until she left the room then replace the bulb with the burned-out bulb. Each time she changed out the same bulb, Bill would replace it once she left the room. Once the other teachers learned he was the guilty culprit they tried to get even with him. One teacher chose to wash out his pipe with soap and water. To be honest Bill never knew she had washed his pipe.

Survivors include his loving wife Mary Leah; three children, Christi Dianne Carper Whiten of Ardmore, Billy James Carper & wife April of Fr. Worth, TX and Staci Nicole Carper Hanson of Davis; seven grandchildren, Leah Dalton Whiten of Orlando, Florida, Christian James Whiten of Arlington, Virginia, Thomas Everett carper of Ft. Worth, TX Jefferson Daniel Carper of Fr. Worth, TX, Emily Grace Parsons of Davis, Rebecca Maymarie Parsons of Davis and Charity Hope Hanson of Davis; two step-grandchildren Derek Whiten and Autum Looney and their children. One brother, Jim Carper & wife Betty of Ventura, CA; one sister, Betty Ann Carper Houtz of Newalla, OK as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, Bill was preceded in death by three brothers, Kenneth Carper, L.E. Carper and Donnie Carper.