Marine turned down a contract with Rams

A farewell to people with Oklahoma ties who enjoyed the game day experience:

•Bob Kirk, 90, of Broken Arrow. The World War II and Korean War veteran played football for a Marine squad that faced the Los Angeles Rams in an exhibition game. The Rams were impressed with Kirk and offered him a contract. Kirk turned down the deal when he found out the Rams traveled to road games by plane.

He later served as the marshal at Forest Ridge Golf Course and umpired youth league baseball games. A scratch golfer and an outdoorsman who liked to hunt bird and go fishing.

•Garold Gregory, 92, of Oklahoma City. He played football for Arkansas City Junior College. A Korean War veteran.

•Dean Sisemore, 69, of Big Bear Lake, California. He was a three-sport standout at Carl Albert High School. Sisemore was an all-district quarterback and defensive end for the 1966 football team, which won a thenschool record nine games.

Sisemore was a pitcher for the baseball team, and as a wrestler, he finished third at state as a junior and second as a senior. He earned a wrestling scholarship to the University of Maryland. Went on to own an interior business in California.

•Jackie Hames, 83, of Tuttle. The former Oklahoma City fireman was once a hunting guide in Alaska.

•Paul Howard, 77, of Allen. He owned and trained race horses. His horse Moon Lark won the All-American Futurity, the Horseman’s QHRA Championship and several other races. With Spring Lark, he won the Black Gold Futurity and Rainbow Derby.

•Tawana Richardson Lewis, 84, of Moore. Joined sisters Laverne and Shirley to help St. Louis High in eastern Oklahoma to the Class B girls state basketball tournament in 1952.

•Ken Nash, 88, of Oklahoma City. The longtime lawman loved the St. Louis Cardinals. One of his best memories was attending a World Series with son Rick. Ken liked to pheasant hunt in Nebraska and fish for salmon in Alaska.

•Dale Grove, 64, of Greenfield. Played football for Watonga High School. He was part of the Eagles’ 1971 state championship team. A NASCAR fan.

•Chuck Obermiller, 82, of Fairview. He played football at Woodward High School. He was on the livestock judging team for Panhandle State University. Obermiller was also a rodeo clown while in college.

•Jerry Runnels, 66, of Cache. As a member of the First United Methodist Church, he started a “golf cart ministry,” transporting people from their cars to Ulrich Stadium for Cache football games. Runnels was a league bowler for 35 years. The retired oil field engineer liked to go fishing.

•James Maines, 80, of Frederick. He played high school football at Frederick. The iron worker helped build missile sites in Frederick and Minot, North Dakota.

•C.J. Stoll, 79, of Chattanooga. The retired electrical engineer was a pit crewman for a stock car racing team in California.