Willis McCollum's Obituary
Willis McCollum Obituary
Services to honor and celebrate the life of Willis McCollum will be 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 21, 2019 in the RiverCrest Chapel, Bixby. Willis passed away on Friday, August 16, 2019 in Tulsa. He was 91. Born April 16, 1928, in Boynton, Oklahoma, Willis McCollum was the son of Joe and Grace (Richardson) McCollum. One of 17 children, Willis grew up working on the family farm. One of his assigned tasks was to hook the plow up to a team of horses and plow the fields. Sadly, Willis' mother would pass away before he was even 10 years old which meant all of the family had to pitch in even more. As a teenager, Willis quit school to find full-time work. This quest took him, by train, to California. Back in Haskell, Willis would meet a beautiful, young waitress at the local café. Her name was Hope Rombach. The two dated before Willis was drafted into the U.S. Army. While in the Army, Willis would serve in the Armored Division during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged in December of 1952. Receiving letters from Hope during his time in the Army, Willis returned home with a 'new mission'. Mission accomplished, he and Hope would marry on September 2, 1952. The couple would make their home in Tulsa and, a few years later, settle in Bixby where they would raise their children: Vicki, Scott, Joy, and Gay. Willis worked as a TV repairman before beginning a career with Safeway. This, while Hope served as a homemaker and, in addition, made wedding dresses and Barbie clothes which she sold. Although working hard meant very little travel, the kids certainly remember the various station wagons they owned and piling in those to attend yearly family reunions. They also recall their dad always growing okra and tomatoes in his garden and painting the exterior of their home every two years - regardless!During retirement, Willis continued gardening. He also enjoyed taking his grandsons fishing and telling them stories from his years in the Army. Their favorite spots to fish were at LaFortune Park and Haikey Creek. Walking was another regular activity that Willis enjoyed. His normal routine included a three-mile trek around one of the area parks as he had a route for each of the local parks mapped out!Described as: supportive, faithful, and a family man, Willis was one who always had the needs and wants of his family at the forefront of his mind and decision making. This husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend will certainly be missed by those who knew and loved him. He was preceded in death by his parents; son-in-law, Tim Justus, Sr.; great-grandson, Ryan McCollum and several siblings. He is survived by his wife, Hope (Rombach) McCollum; four children: Vicki Fenton and husband, James; Scott McCollum and wife, Stephanie; Joy Justus and Gay Foster and husband, Michael; ten grandchildren: Cherish, Chelsea, Tara, Whitney, Tim, Victoria, Matthew, Randal, Melody and Amanda; seven great-grandchildren: Jude, Indigo, Shayne, Ryder, Sagan, Lillian, and Gage; and siblings.Memorial Service RiverCrest Chapel 13329 S. Memorial Dr. Bixby, Oklahoma 74008 2:00 PM
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