Rupe was an All-State football, baseball player
Farewell to people with Oklahoma ties who enjoyed the game day experience:
Brian Rupe ,55, of Oklahoma City. Rupe was an All-State selection in football and baseball for Bishop McGuinness High School in the 1980s. He played full back for the football team, rushing for 4,010 yards during his career. In baseball, the catcher set school career records for runs (121) and RBI (117) while boasting a .353 batting average.
Hal Smith ,89, of Columbus, Texas. The catcher/ third baseman played 81 games with the Oklahoma City 89ers in 1963. Smith batted .284 with 16 homers and 55 RBI for a team that finished 84-74. Three years earlier, Smith hit a dramatic three-run homer for the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game 7 of the World Series against the Yankees.
Ed S prague ,74, of Boston. The right-handed pitcher played three games for the Tulsa Oilers in 1973. He was 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA. Also played that season for the Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals. S prague owned the minor-league Stockton Ports after he retired as a player.
Donnie Nell Griss om North cutt ,89, of
Lexington. North cutt and husband Don had a passion for Oklahoma State sports. They held season tickets to football, basketball, wrestling and baseball since 1951.
Tom Mason ,74, of Choctaw. He had a need for speed. Mason built and raced cars, starting
with go-karts as a youth and evolving into dragsters and funny cars as an adult. He was a jet engine assembly supervisor for B1 and B2 bombers at Tinker Air Force Base.
Joe Johnston Jr .,76, of Oklahoma City. An All-State basketball and baseball player at St.
Procopius Academy in his native Chicago. He played both sports at Western Illinois University. Worked in the restaurant industry, including Kentucky Fried Chicken where he worked directly with Colonel Sanders.
Dickie H ax el ,74, of Sunrise Beach, Missouri. was a state champion wrestler in 1963 for John Marshall High School. The Bears were considered by Amateur Wrestling News magazine as having one of the best prep teams of all time. John Marshall's roster included Bryan Rice and Wayne Wells, who joined Haxel at OU. Wells, an NCAA and Olympic champion, said of Haxel: "He used to beat me like a rented mule." Wells added that Haxel was the best high school wrestler he ever saw. Haxel was a Big Eight placer and NCAA qualifier.
Bill Byers, 96, of Yukon. Along-time golfer who had several holes in one during his lifetime. The homebuilder and World War II veteran lived next to Surrey Hills Golf Club.
Gary Mo te ,54, of Baltimore. An Oklahoma
City native who was the hornet mascot for Tulsa Washington High School. Mote loved fishing and playing pool. An OU fan who was the chief meterorologist at Northrop Grumman.
Billy Caldwell ,94, of Oklahoma City. A competitive benchtop shooter. Enjoyed NASCAR, especially when Jeff Gordon was racing. A World War II veteran.
Betty Laird Organ ,88, of Oklahoma City. She lettered in tennis at old Central High School in OKC. Also played clarinet in the marching band.
Jess Evans, 91 of Tulsa. He was a former running back for Class en High School in Oklahoma City. Graduated Oklahoma A& M and remained an Aggies/Cowboys football and basketball f an. He spent 30 years working for Cities Service Company in Bartlesville.
Brenda Burch Sepkowitz,
70, of Oklahoma Cit y. She was once a cheerleader at Pauls Valley High School. A big OU football fan who traveled to many Sooner-Texas games with husband Jerry.