Leroy Gene Waugh

Leroy Gene Waugh, the son of George Thomas and Edith Lucy (Vanderpool) Waugh, was born on November 6, 1944 in Shattuck, Oklahoma. Leroy left his earthly home and entered into the kingdom of heaven on Sunday January 17, 2021 surrounded by his wife Kathie, his daughters, Tiffany and Tisha and other family members. Leroy had been fighting complications from COVID-19 and passed away at Creighton Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska. His life will be celebrated with a service at the First Baptist Church in Laverne, Oklahoma on Saturday, January 23, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. with interment immediately following at Laverne Cemetery.

Growing up on the family farm northwest of Buffalo, Leroy attended elementary school at Willard until his family moved to Nunn, Colorado where he attended 7th and 8th grades. Moving back to Buffalo in 1959, Leroy attended Buffalo High School, graduating with the Class of 1962.

Following graduation, he attended Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell, Oklahoma. It was here he met the girl he was destined to marry- Kathie Waldrop from Guymon, Oklahoma. She was in the same First Aid class as Leroy and actually sat beside him because the students were seated in alphabetical order. He was so smitten by her, he always said HE needed first aid after that. They were united in marriage on May 28, 1965 in Guymon. The newlyweds moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma so Leroy could complete his Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture Education from Oklahoma State University. They both fell in love with OSU. Their years in Stillwater produced many memories and lifelong friendships. Leroy graduated in the summer of 1966 and he and Kathie moved to Cyril, Oklahoma where Leroy began his first teaching job as an Ag teacher, while Kathie completed her degree in elementary education at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in nearby Chickasha. Their first child Timmy Ray was born on September 26, 1967. Tragedy came to the young couple when Timmy was diagnosed with cancer and passed away at the age of 21 months. Kathie and Leroy’s strong Christian faith sustained them as Leroy continued his teaching career in Cyril until 1970. It was then they moved back closer to home, with Leroy teaching Vocational Agriculture in Laverne, OK. Their family grew as Tiffany Kay was born in January of 1971 and Tisha Lea in January of 1973. Their family was complete. In 1976 Leroy decided to open a Purina Feed Store in Laverne, which he operated from 1976-1981. The opportunity for Leroy to be the Harper County Extension Agent was offered and he accepted. He worked for the OSU Extension for 16 years, retiring in 1997 and then worked for Murphy-Brown for seven years as nursery production supervisor. At the time of his death, Leroy was enjoying his retirement and taking care of his registered Angus cow/calf operation.

Leroy’s life was more than words; his life was one of action. Serving as a Deacon of the First Baptist Church in Laverne from 1972 until his passing, he was a “true and faithful servant”. He served as a Sunday School teacher and was a member of various committees. Through his involvement in agriculture over the years, he has been a member of the OK&T Angus Association, the USDA Soil Conservation Board, and Northwest Cattlemen’s Association Board of Directors. Being a member of the OSU Alumni Association, Leroy and Kathie remained active with the university. They loved attending the OSU football games and had season tickets for over 40 years.