Gone but not forgotten

The Oklahoman’s Scott Munn pays tribute to those who enjoyed sports and the game-day experience in the state.

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

•Jerry Keeling, 78, of Tulsa. Starred in football, basketball, baseball and track at Enid High School. An All-State player in football and baseball and the team scoring leader for a state championship basketball team. Keeling went on to the University of Tulsa, where he was a two-time All-Missouri Valley Conference quarterback.

Keeling played in the Canadian Football League, first as a defensive back and then quarterback. He earned All-CFL honors in 1964, '65 and '67 as a defensive back. Led the Toronto Argonauts to the Grey Cup championship as a QB.

The CFL Hall of Famer completed 1,302 passes for 18,239 yards and 119 touchdowns during a 15-year career north of the border. Also a member of the TU Athletic Hall of Fame.

Keeling went into coaching after retiring as a player; he coached in the CFL as well as Northwestern State and Southwestern State in Oklahoma. •Judy Watson Johnson, 77, of Oklahoma City. An allaround athlete at Hobart High School, playing basketball, softball and tennis. Also played in the high school band.

•Dr. Ralph Lazzara, 83, of Anna Maria Island, Florida. The former Oklahoma City resident and medical director for the University of Oklahoma's Heart Rhythm Institute grew up in Tampa, Florida, where he starred in football for Hillsborough High School. An end on offense and defense, Lazzara was recruited by the University of Florida, but he chose to study at the University of Chicago. He was an accomplished skier and tennis player. •Bob Richardson, 69, of Oklahoma City. Richardson played football, basketball and baseball at Snyder High School. As a running back, he helped the Cyclones to the playoffs in 1965; he then averaged 36.3 points per game for the basketball team in 1966 and earned a scholarship to play under

Henry Iba at Oklahoma State.

Richardson also played baseball for the Cowboys, starring as a pitcher. In 1968, he had a 0.46 earned run average, which still stands as a school record. He also threw a nine-inning no-hitter against Houston.

With the exception of two years working for the FBI, Richardson's career was in education, coaching and officiating. He coached track, baseball and basketball at Lawton Eisenhower Junior High School, before spending 12 years as coordinator of officials for the OSSAA. •James Daugherty, 60, of Holdenville. He played golf

at Holdenville High School. He was passionate about the links, basketball and softball. •Elizabeth Pearson-Fountain, 79, of Oklahoma City. She played high school basketball and softball in her hometown of Webbers Falls. She was the football homecoming queen at Connors Junior College. A teacher and librarian by trade.

•Greg Stewart of Bronx, New York. He played college basketball at Tulsa after helping Western Texas win the junior college national title. In his first year at TU, Stewart was the NIT championship game Most Valuable Player after collecting 23 points and 11 rebounds and sinking the game-winning basket in a victory over Syracuse.

The Boston Celtics picked Stewart in the fourth round of the 1982 NBA Draft, but he would play 219 games over a 10-year pro career in Spain. •Wanda Ritter Moody, 93, of Moore. An expert seamstress who made countless uniforms for Moore cheerleaders and pep club members. •Laddie McDade, 88, of Billings, Montana. Grew up in Duncan, where he played football for the high school Demons. Attended OU and played ball for the 1949 Big 7 champion under Bud

Wilkinson. Majored in geology. Worked for Shell Oil.

•Steve Baker, 66, of Oklahoma City. The Iowa native owned and operated Pebble Creek Golf Course in

Mustang.

•Paul Stejskal, 84, of Mustang. Attended Union City High School, playing shortstop for the baseball team. Worked for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. •Duffy O'Neal, 59, of Oklahoma City. He was football player and wrestler at Edmond Memorial High School.

•Dick Adcock, 83, of Oklahoma City. An avid fisherman who had catches ranging from a 28-pound striper bass in Beaver Lake, Arkansas, to a 127-pound halibut off the shores of Homer, Alaska. He also enjoyed golf. Worked in pharmaceutical sales.

•Laurie Sandefer, 53, of San Miguel De Allende, Mexico. The Putnam City North High School graduate was a competitive diver, starting at age 9.

•Danny James, 79, of Del City. A huge OU football fan and equally big supporter of wrestling. He was the father of David and Ronnie

James, who were championship wrestlers at Del City High and the University of Central Oklahoma. •Betty Walters Tucker, 87, of Norman. She starred in basketball at Pernell High School. Tucker was a bowler, competing for the team at Wilson Foods.

•Edward Hedrick, 86, of Columbia, Maryland. The Geary native was a bull rider as a young man. Also trained horses. The career Army man completed two combat tours in each the Korean and Vietnam wars.