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Obituaries

 







Paul Walters was a winner.  From the moment he took his first breath to the moment he breathed his last his competitive spirit never wavered.  Paul was born September 10th, 1933 to Zeff and Mayme Walters in Vian.  He dearly loved his older brother, Terrell, and his beloved sister, Nino.  Like many Depression era babies his childhood was marked by a series of moves but Vian was always the place the Walters family called home, finally settling to stay when Paul was a fifth grader.  Zeff Walters was a fourth generation horse trainer and Paul was his jockey, riding many a match race on the Vian racetrack.  Zeff realized horses were not the only fast things on that track and soon Paul was competing in matched footraces on a regular basis.  During those middle school years Paul was introduced to the game of basketball and a life long passion was born.  Until his death he enunciated the word basketball with an emphasis on each syllable as though trying to verbalize his awe of the game.  In 1947 he won his first trophy at a Gore Middle School tournament and was named MVP—the little trophy still sits on his desk today.  A four year starter at Vian High School, he was the first basketball player from Sequoyah County to sign with a Division I program when he chose Tulsa University for his collegiate career.  He made the varsity squad that freshman year but suffered what for most would have been a career ending knee injury during track season.  He was always grateful to Connors State College for giving him a chance to continue his education and rehabilitate the knee.  In his one year there he was named an All Region Juco Player.  He graduated from Northeastern State in 1955 and for almost 30 years held the school scoring record with 48 points.  One of his proudest moments was his induction into the NSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001.  He later received his Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from NSU as well.  Arguably his greatest victory took place in a surprising venue—the NSU library.  That’s where he met a student librarian name Tena Adams.  They were married 62 years in December.  He always called their union a 62 year honeymoon, and it was.  Their careers in education took them to Ralston, Vian, McDonald County, Missouri, Muldrow, Stilwell and, finally, back to Vian.  Each place gave them happy memories and life long friends.  He was honored to serve as the Large School East All State Coach in 1989.  His coaching career saw 773 victories in high school boys and girls basketball.  He remembered each victory but perhaps even more the defeats.  He really hated to lose.  Winners love to compete and somewhere in the middle of all that basketball he took off 12 ears to train running quarter horses.  At one time his stable consisted of 125 horses with 30 employees.  He was the leading quarter horse trainer in the nation three times and won many, many races.  He was a true horseman and his love for and knowledge of horses was well known in the racing community.  In 2004 Paul suffered a massive heart attack and spent the next twelve years with very limited heart function.  But, even heart attacks can be beneficial, for this mad a proud man realize there are some fights you just can’t win on your own.  While still in the hospital he surrendered his life to Jesus and was baptized in the Gore First Southern Baptist Church.  He was 72 years old.  For the next twelve years he really enjoyed and appreciated each day.  “Just glad to be here” was a favorite saying.  He loved his friends at Gore Baptist where many will never forget his heartfelt prayers.  He later became a charter member of The Crossing church and looked forward to attending each week.  He loved Vian and was honored to be the first recipient of Vian’s “Favorite Son” award.  He loved the Vian Wolverines, the OU Sooners, the Thunder and the New York Yankees.  He was not much of a fan of underdogs—winners love to win.  He loved his coffee shop buddies and the girls who spoiled him at each Short Stop and he loved to hang out at S and L Feed.  He really loved going to auctions and buying things to peddle.  He loved to sell one of his “resurrected” purchases.  He loved stray dogs and the color red.  He loved telling stories and he loved a good joke, especially his own.  Paul Walters loved life and most of all he loved his family: his wife Tena, their daughter Shawna and her husband Randy Rogers, granddaughter Raegan and her husband Brandon King and their son Cooper and, last but not least, his grandson Zac Rogers.  Their tight knit family was his greatest treasure and he made sure they always knew they were loved without measure.  Paul Walters died peacefully April 14th at home with Tena and Shawna by his side.  He won the ultimate victory that day as he left to meet Jesus face to face.  I Corinthians 15 says it best: “O Death, where is your victory?  O Death, where is your sting?  Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ!”

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, April 19, 2016 at 2:00 pm at The Crossing church in Vian, Oklahoma.  Interment will follow at Garden of Memories Cemetery under the direction of Agent Mallory Martin Funeral Home of Sallisaw, Oklahoma. Viewing will be 2 - 8 pm Sunday and 10 am - 8 pm Monday at the funeral home in Sallisaw, Oklahoma where the family will greet friends 6 - 8 pm Monday.

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