Obituary of Harold Stinson

Harold Stinson, age 90, was welcomed into the loving arms of his Savior, Jesus Christ, on Saturday, February 13, 2021. Funeral services will be 2:00PM, Saturday, February 20, 2021, in The Chapel at Griffin~Hillcrest with Pastor Walt Spradling officiating. Interment to follow at Hillcrest Memorial Park in Ardmore. Services are under the care and direction of Griffin-Hillcrest Funeral Home in Ardmore. Harold was born June 10, 1930 in Love County, to the late Mr. Wesley Stinson and Mrs. Beatrice Stinson. Harold attended Greenville School, where he graduated from in 1948. He enjoyed playing basketball for the Greenville Wolves. He met the love of his life, Laquita Stinson, and after she graduated from high school the following year, he and Laquita were married in Gainesville, Texas on August 27, 1949. Harold entered the United States Air Force in 1952, where he proudly served his country for four years, from 1952-1956 during the Korean War, in Texas, Oklahoma, and Illinois, working on all types of military aircraft. While he and Laquita enjoyed their Air Force years, they moved back home to Ardmore to settle down, work, and raise a family. In 1960, he became the proud father of his only child, his son Kevin Harold. They were active in their church activities, where Harold served many years as a deacon, and active with Kevin's little league baseball teams. He also enjoyed spending time with Kevin, taking him to OU football games, and Texas Rangers baseball games. He was also a fan and enjoyed watching the OU Sooners, Dallas Cowboys and OKC Thunder. Harold also enjoyed listening to gospel music and he enjoyed the music of Nat King Cole during the 50s and 60s. Harold grew up loving automobiles, first working as a boy at a service station in Marietta, where he learned on the radio that the United States had been attacked at Pearl Harbor in 1941. Later in Ardmore, he had his first job during high school, hitchhiking back and forth from Greenville to Ardmore to work at a service station, catching a bus back to ride home at night, until he earned enough money to buy his first automobile. All throughout his life, he could tell you the year, make, and model of any automobile you would see going down the highway. He continued in the automotive business throughout his life, first with sales of Plymouth, Chrysler, and Dodge automobiles, and later Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac automobiles. Because of his friendly, positive, and warm personality, he was specifically promoted to deal with customers directly, where he worked most of his professional career as service manager for both Ford and Chevrolet dealerships. Customers knew him as an honest man they could trust to get the job done right and the first time. He attended college on the G.I. Bill, pursuing his college education through the Ardmore Higher Education Center and Southeastern Oklahoma State University, majoring in Business. He also loved taking cars and pickups, restoring them, and selling them back for a profit over the many years. At age 50, he decided to take a leap of faith and start his own automotive business on his own, where he built a successful business, with loyal customers for many years. After many years, he sold his business, owned and operated other automotive businesses, and finally worked for O'Reilly Auto Parts as his last job for many years, working up until he was 82, retiring to be with his wife and take care of her 24/7 at home. Harold loved his wife Laquita, and they traveled together on many trips over the years with their son Kevin, then later with their daughter-in-law Denise, and their two granddaughters, Emily and Elizabeth. Many trips were also taken with their many good friends. He loved his church, Crystalrock Cathedral, and served as deacon for many years faithfully. Harold was a member of the American Legion Ardmore Post 65 and was involved with many civic organizations, including the Ardmore Optimist Club and Ardmore Council 151 of United Commercial Travelers, serving as local and state president many times and attending the national conventions with his family all across the United States and Canada. He loved working on many local projects, serving people in his beloved Ardmore. Harold loved to read the newspapers, the more, the better. As a child, Kevin and Harold would both stay up together and watch the 10pm news, then have a late night snack before going to bed. Both of them still continued this tradition even today. Harold helped develop Kevin’s love of reading at an early age and his love of news and current events. Harold ordered a book for Kevin to have after President Kennedy’s Assassination in 1963 that he still has. Harold continued to stay up late to watch the news nightly on television and was always up to date about local, state, and national news. He loved to go fishing, first taking Kevin, and later, loving taking his two granddaughters, Emily and Elizabeth. The other loves of his life were all of his dogs over the years he had. These included Butch, Brandy, Mitz, and his current one, Bubbles. They all lived such long lives because of the great care he gave each of them, and he never met a dog he didn't like. Harold loved his wife Laquita and was devoted to her until her passing in July of 2020 which separated them. Upon her passing, they were six weeks short of 71 years of marriage together. He loved his son Kevin and they were the best of friends all through the years. When Kevin was born, he stayed all night in his car in front of the hospital, waiting on his arrival. He gained his daughter-in-law Denise in 1993 and loved her greatly. Harold told Kevin that he needed to marry her and he followed his dad's advice. He and Laquita's lives changed forever upon the arrivals of their two granddaughters, Emily Michelle and Elizabeth Grace. These two granddaughters became the light of their lives, as he became known as PawPaw to them. Harold doted over them as the girls played at their house, went to eat and shop with them, took trips together, attended each little league softball game, and sat together with them in church. He was a wonderful husband to Laquita, a great dad to his son Kevin, a second father to Denise, and a loving PawPaw to Emily and Elizabeth. Harold loved his extended family, his brothers and families, as well as Laquita’s family too. He was devoted to his family, friends, community, church, and his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Harold loved to help people in need without any recognition. He would help people who couldn't pay for their automotive needs, strangers who needed food as he came across them traveling, or families in need of food or clothing in Ardmore, all without wanting any recognition given to him. There are many words to describe Harold which include honesty, steadfast, integrity, constant, goodness, positive, faithful, loyal, consistent, devoted, and dedicated. He was preceded in death by and is now reunited with his wife of 71 years, Laquita Stinson, only apart from each other 7 months and 4 days, his parents Wesley and Beatrice Stinson, his in-laws Neal and Grace Jackson, brother and sister-in-law Lavon/Jearline Stinson, brother Billy Stinson, and brother-in law Don Jackson. Harold is survived by his son and daughter-in-law Kevin and Denise Stinson of Ardmore, granddaughters Emily Stinson and Elizabeth Stinson of Ardmore, brother and sister-in-law Bobby and Joanne Stinson of Allen Texas, brother and sister-in-law Pat and LaJoy Stinson of Wapanucka, sister-in law Elva Jackson of Edmond, brother-in-law and sister-in law, Wallace and Lavenia Hamilton of Bethany, brother-in-law and sister-in-law Gale and Carla Jackson of Holland, Michigan, and brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Dan and Vicki Jackson of Yukon. Harold had many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends that loved him dearly. In lieu of flowers, you may make a donation to CrystalRock Womens Ministries, Big Five Community Services, the ECU Foundation, Greenville School, or the Ardmore Animal Shelter. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7 Casket Bearers are Pat Stinson, Dan Jackson, Ronald Stinson, Carl Parton, Scott Hamilton, and Randy Growall