Bing C. Vassaur's Obituary
Bing Vassaur passed away peacefully at the age of 86 on April 20, 2025 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Bing was born on April 27, 1938 to Edgar and Florence Vassaur in Henryetta, Oklahoma.
He is survived by his sister Mary Volturo; niece Gina Ellis; nephew Tony Volturo and his wife Renee; son John Vassaur; grandchildren Rebekah, Nathan, and Rachel; daughter Kristy Vassaur; son Robert Mitchell and his wife Laura Brewer; grandchildren Amelia, Elliott, and Charlotte; nephew Jeff Manring.
Bing graduated from Okmulgee High School in 1956. He played trumpet in the United States Naval Academy Band that performed in the 1960 inauguration of President John F. Kennedy. Returning to Oklahoma, Bing enrolled into Oklahoma State University, graduating in 1964. He continued his education at the University of Tulsa earning a Master of Music Education in 1965 and then began teaching junior high and high school music.
In 1973, Bing earned a Master of Science degree from the University of Tulsa. Shortly thereafter, he began working with Amoco Corporation in their drilling research group using computers to analyze geological data. He was awarded a patent for some of his software engineering.
Music was ever-present throughout Bing's life. On weekends, he played trumpet for many years in dance bands throughout Tulsa. In 2013, Bing was inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame for his membership in the 1960's dance band, The Shadow Lake 8. Bing was a pioneer of computer music, using programed cards fed into a mainframe computer that would reproduce sound and play musical compositions.
Fishing was another passion of Bing's life. Whether with his son, John, or his wife, Pat, you could hear the car pulling the boat out of the driveway just before sunrise; off to another adventure.
In retirement, Bing and his wife Pat loved to take road trips, visiting friends and family throughout the United States.
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