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Curtis

Curtis Cayler Wilkins

Curtis Cayler Wilkins (Curt) peacefully left this earth surrounded by his loving family on October 28th, 2017.

Curt was born on November 23, 1954 to Clara (Kay) and Darryll (Buddy) Wilkins in Perryton, Texas. The oldest of four children, his siblings, Chris, Kim, and Ky, all remained fiercely loyal to one another up until the final moments of Curt’s worldly life. Their relationship with each other, as well as with their mother, Kay, has always been founded on unwavering support and dedication which lay the groundwork for other relationships throughout Curt’s lifetime.

Growing up in the small town of Hardesty, Oklahoma, Curt found refuge in helping his father rear young horses and also took to sports as a way to sow his competitive oats. By the age of thirteen, Curt was determined to join a legion baseball team, the Hooker Horny Toads, even though the other players on the squad were several years his senior. Through his own grit and determined work ethic, Curt made the team which caused him to  have a great sense of pride and accomplishment. Curt remained with the Horny Toads throughout his teen years and many of his fondest memories are related to the comradery he experienced with his beloved teammates. Curt also excelled in basketball and enjoyed recalling stories about which opponents received a timely, deserved elbow during various games. His love for all things sports set the stage for his later career choice as a basketball coach and teacher.

It was also during his school years he met and later married the love of his life, Mickey Joann Gibson. Curt and Jo pronounced their vows in Hardesty, Oklahoma on November 30th, 1974. During their years together, you would rarely see one without the other even after nearly 43 years of marriage. Deeply connected and faithful to one another, Curt and Jo exemplified a loving, fulfilling union, each finding their own balance in the other.

Through their love for one another, they were blessed with four daughters, Arla Kay, Amanda Jo, Lindsay Rene, and Kara Dawn. Curt is now reunited with sweet Arla Kay in heaven who passed away on July 14th, 1979. Curt and Jo raised their three remaining daughters throughout the state of Oklahoma all the while coaching and teaching his three girls during their school years.  Because of his chosen career path, Curt was able to use teachable moments during basketball practice or the classroom to instill valuable life lessons to his daughters. Those morals being: get up when you fall down, work hard and reap the rewards, find a way to lead but not dictate, be punctual and prepared, do the right thing even if you are standing alone, take responsibility for your own mistakes, stand for those who are unable to stand for themselves, and no matter what’s going on in life, family comes first. Curt quietly lives on within his girls because of his amazing job developing these values within each of them.

In 2000, Curt began teaching and coaching at Dale Schools.  It was during this time in Curt’s life, he engrossed himself in truly cultivating the teacher naturally inside him. His knack for helping others question their own thoughts or belief systems gently prodded his students to reach their full potential both as students, but more importantly, as human beings. Through his love for teaching history and government, Curt was able to subtly minister to countless young people by providing each student walking through the doors of his classroom a sense of belonging, importance, and value. And, although he was a man a few words, at times, his ability to convey his feelings about his students through his thoughtful actions and great expectations spoke for themselves.

In the final years, Curt fulfilled his most coveted title, “Poppie.” The proud, loving grandfather to Reed Ryan, Grey Ryan, Amare Joe, and his “baby,” Myla Jolie. His sometimes gruff exterior quickly melted away while satisfying his role as Poppie.  Often providing a few (or a lot) of gummy bears before dinner, allowing unrestricted access to a tablet, and showing complete disregard for appropriate bedtimes during sleepovers, Curt found no greater joy than in his time with his beloved grandbabies.

A Celebration of Curt’s life will be held:
11:00 A.M. Saturday, November 4, 2107
Dale High School Gymnasium
300 Smith Ave.
Dale, OK 74851

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to The Curt Wilkins Scholarship Fund.

Contributions can be made payable by check to:
The Curt Wilkins Scholarship Fund
C/O Dale Public High School
300 Smith Ave.
Dale, OK 74851

We will also be accepting cash or check contributions the day of the memorial service.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Curtis Cayler Wilkins, please visit our flower store.

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