Edgar Philip "Ed" Chivers

Colonel Edgar Philip “Ed” Chivers

Funeral Services for Colonel Edgar Philip “Ed” Chivers USAF Retired will be held Monday, April 16, 2018 at 1:00 PM at Hale’s Memorial Chapel in Davis, Oklahoma with Pastor Steve Harshaw, officiating. Interment, with military honors, will follow at the Green Hill Cemetery in Davis.
Ed was born March 17, 1931 in Brady, Oklahoma to the late Charles E Chivers Sr. and Bessie Barringer Chivers. He died Monday, April 9, 2018 in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma at the age of 87 years. He said he had three main goals in his life, first to marry the love of his life, Miss Teddy Marie Tuley. Ed and Teddy were married on September 11, 1954 in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Second, was to become an Air Force pilot and Third, to be a rancher.
Ed grew up near Hennipin, Oklahoma, where he attended school from kindergarten through twelfth grade at Woodland School. Growing up in a family of humble means, he earned extra money by hauling hay and trapping minnows in the local creeks which he sold for a penny apiece in town. While in high school, he dreamed of becoming a fighter pilot. After high school, he attended Cameron College in Lawton for 2 years then attended Oklahoma A&M University which is now known as Oklahoma State University. Additionally, he attended the University of Omaha where he earned a Bachelor of Education degree with a major in Engineering. He earned his Master’s Degree while in Belleville, IL.
Ed was commissioned in the United States Air Force through the aviation cadet program in March 1955. His first operational assignment, with his newly acquired wife Teddy, was to McChord AFB, Washington, flying C-119’s. In 1956 he received his first overseas assignment to Korea as an F-86 pilot. In September 1957 Ed returned to James Connelly AFB, Texas, where he flew B-25’s and T-29’s in the Navigator Training world and later as a maintenance flight test pilot flying the T-29 and T-33’s. From 1963 to 1966 he served with Air Force Recruiting Service at Robins AFB, Georgia. Even then, he did some flying in the U-3A courier aircraft. In 1966 he went off to war flying the 0-1E Bird-dog as a Forward Air Controller, Long An Sector, 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron, Bien Hoa Air Base in Vietnam. There he completed 631 combat missions while accumulating 16 clusters to the Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Silver Star. He followed on with a flying tour at Norton AFB, California, as a C-141 pilot with the Military Airlift Command. 1969 finds Ed and his family off to England where he was an Exchange Officer flying the sleek T-tailed VC-10 jet transport with the Royal Air Force until reporting to the Air War College, Montgomery, Alabama in 1972 where his flying days were over. 1973 saw him assigned to the Military Airlift Command Headquarters at Scott AFB in Illinois and at the time of his retirement on March 31, 1980 he was the Base Commander at Altus Air Force Base, Altus, Oklahoma.
Following retirement, Ed and Teddy built their dream home on their land outside of Wynnewood, Oklahoma near Teddy’s mother, Naomi Tuley, and her brother, Denny and Betty Tuley. Ranching was another dream of his and for the next 33 years he realized that dream by clearing fields, growing hay and raising cattle. As a boy his family couldn’t afford a tractor and he always wanted one. One of the first things he bought when he retired was a brand new John Deere. Of course his wish didn’t stop there as years later he won another John Deere tractor at a local casino. He also served ten years on the Garvin County Excise Board. He said he had fulfilled his military service and now he was fulfilling his civic service.
Ed and Teddy enjoyed occasional trips to Las Vegas and Branson with his late brother and sister-in-law, Charlie and Helen Chivers.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Bessie Chivers, his brother Charles Chivers, Jr. and his son Steve Chivers. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Teddy Chivers, sons, Phil Chivers and Mark Chivers (Leisa), his daughter, Donna Martin (Terry); grandchildren, Jessica Dunkin, Travis Chivers, Casey Chivers, Jake Chivers, Tyler Chivers, Jamie Chivers, Scott Chivers, and Lt. Col. TJ Martin (USAF), Christy Martin Tunstall, Kelly Martin, 14 great grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren.