Samuel Stewart Mabry Jr. was born on March 16, 1925 at 12:05 pm at his family's home on the Shell Oil Thompson Lease near Kaw Oklahoma in Kay County. Sam was born to Samuel Stewart Mabry Sr. and Bertha Esther Hudson Mabry. Sam was the 2nd of 8 siblings, but the oldest of those who lived to be adults. He died on February 5th, 2019 and lived to be 93 years old.
Sam is preceded in death by his parents Samuel and Bertha, his sister Esther Ruth, brother Wayne, brother John Daniel, sister Lydia Elizabeth, as well as his grandparents and many aunts and uncles.
Sam is survived by his wife Edith, his sons Michael and his wife Marsha Mabry of Tulsa, his son Martin and wife Jeanne Mabry of Cleveland, TN, his grandson Rev. Jason and his wife Christina Mabry of Stockton, Mo, his granddaughter Rebecca Mabry of Dallas, TX, his grandson Ryan Mabry of Cleveland, TN, his great granddaughters Evangeline and Eliana Mabry of Stockton, MO, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Sam grew up all over north central Oklahoma and south-central Kansas living in oil field housing. His family moved to Tonkawa Oklahoma, and while in school there he met and fell in love with Edith McGill at a youth Sunday school party. Sam graduated from Tonkawa High School in 1942 and was drafted into the United States Army. At first Sam was stationed in California training to be a phlebotomist as he was in pre-med, but when the Allies needed more support in the European theatre, Sam was assigned to an armored division in a tank battalion.
Before shipping out to Europe, Sam came home and married Edith at the First Baptist Church of Tonkawa on June 21, 1944, and they were married for 74 years.
Sam served in many conflicts including the Battle of the Bulge and was a part of freeing pow camps and concentration camps. He was honorably discharged in 1945 after Victory in Europe.
Sam returned home from the war and attended and graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a bachelor's in petroleum engineering. He was a lifelong Sooners fan!
Sam worked for Cities Service Company for 37 years and retired as a Senior Engineer Manager. As a professional engineer Sam was a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and was dedicated to training engineers in new methods and technologies for the oil and gas industry. Sam served as president of the mid-continent division as well as served on the board for the national organization.
Sam was saved at a young age and served for over years as a deacon, as well as a Sunday School director at both First Baptist Church Bartlesville and First Baptist Church Tulsa. He was a member of The Gideon's International, and had a passion to see the Bible get into the hands of as many people as he could. To this end he also supported Wycliff Bible Translators financially and participated in church planting efforts in the Pacific islands.
Sam loved to golf, fish, and especially loved woodworking. Sam also enjoyed traveling all over the world with his wife and other family members.
Sam will be remembered as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle and friend by his family and friends who consider themselves better off and blessed for knowing him.
Visitation will be 5-7 PM, Friday, February 8, 2019 at Moore's Southlawn, 9350 E. 51st, Tulsa, OK. Funeral service will be 11:00 A.M., Saturday, February 9, 2019 at First Baptist Church-Tulsa Parlor, 403 S. Cincinnati, Tulsa, OK. Moore's Southlawn 918-663-2233