James Gicaletto, Jr.

Services honoring James Gicaletto Jr. “Chick” will be held 2 PM Friday, June 10, 2022 at the Faith United Methodist Church in Tulsa. Interment will follow with Tulsa Police Department and U.S. Air Force military honors at Memorial Park Cemetery. The family will receive visitors from 6-8 PM Thursday at the Rivercrest Chapel, 13329 S. Memorial Drive. Chick passed away Saturday evening, June 4, 2022 at the Clarehouse in Tulsa. He was 91 years old.

Chick was born in Tulsa on February 3, 1931, the son of James and Katie (Howell) Gicaletto. He grew up in Tulsa where he was raised by wonderful parents in a loving home. They always lived near the grocery store that his father was managing at the time.

A motorcycle enthusiast, Chick began riding at a very young age. He also played football for the Braves while attending Central High School. The coach always told him he could be a great player if he would devote half as much time to football as he did to riding motorcycles. However, Chick didn’t much enjoy playing against the older veterans returning to town from World War II. He loved riding motorcycles throughout most of his lifetime. Chick graduated from Central High School in 1949, the class known as the “49ers.”

Following high school, Chick enlisted in the U.S. Air Force where he was stationed in France during the Korean War. While working in refueling, he was promoted to Sergeant. Chick’s ability to ride motorcycles led him to a long and successful career as a police officer. He retired from the Tulsa Police Department in 1975 as a Sergeant. Chick was always known to do the right thing and back up his fellow officers.

Following his retirement from TPD, Chick would meet Barbara Dobson in 1976, a young lady who worked for the Department of Public Safety. The couple married March 24, 1978 in Miami, Oklahoma and spent 44 wonderful years together.

Chick continued to work various jobs throughout his retirement years including motorcycle sales, driving a school bus, selling insurance, delivering generators, as well as a couple of part-time positions with American Airlines and Tulsa Community College. He was a member of Delta Lodge #425 and a 32nd Degree Mason with the Tulsa Scottish Rite. More than anything else, Chick was known for racing motorcycles, midgets and stock cars all over the country, but primarily, the Tulsa Motor Speedway. Among his many awards, he was Tulsa Speedway Champion of 1962.

Chick loved to laugh and tell a great joke. Making friends always came easy to him. Chick brought a lot of fun and laughter to everyone in his life. Everywhere he went, Chick would surely run into someone he knew and share a funny story with them. To say that Chick embraced life would be an understatement. He would always say, “Scoop up all of the fun you can!” A voice of reason and common sense, you could always share your problems with Chick. Quoting his daughter Sabrina, “People would say you’re lucky he’s your dad. They were right. We will miss him.”

Surviving family include his wife, Barbara; his children, Gina Parker and husband, Jim; Sabrina Gicaletto, and Cherrie Gicaletto; grandchildren, Craig Parker and wife, Saundra, Clint Parker, Keith Parker, Kevin Parker, and Taylor Payge Holly; nephew, Tom Bueno and wife, Cheri and family, as well as numerous great and great-great grandchildren.

Chick was preceded in death by his parents; his daughter, Jeri Cobb, sister, Lois Bueno, and granddaughter, Lauren Dickey.

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