Obituary for Billy Joe Runyan
Greer Funeral Home
Mangum, Oklahoma 73554
(580) 782-3323
Billy Joe Runyan, age 75, of Mangum, went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, November 6, 2013, with his family at his side.
Bill was born in Cache, Oklahoma on August 5, 1938, to Crado Bruce and Lillie Belle (Ballenger) Runyan. After graduating from Cache High School in 1956, Bill proudly served his country in the United States Air Force from 1956 until 1959. On October 7, 1961, Bill married the love of his life, Coline Guynn, and they spent the next fifty-two wonderful years together before his death. Bill graduated from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol"s twenty-seventh academy in November of 1970, and was assigned to the Greer County detachment, badge 519. For many years Bill patrolled the roads of Southwest Oklahoma, until he was promoted to second lieutenant on September 1, 1984 and given badge 107. On June 1, 1989, Bill was promoted to first lieutenant and given command of Tillman, Jackson, Kiowa, Harmon and Greer Counties along with badge 37. In this command, Bill was instrumental in designing the new Troop M headquarters, in Altus. In 1997, Bill retired from the OHP and began working for the Greer County Sheriff"s Department, becoming sheriff, later that same year. After ten years as sheriff, Bill retired in 2007, leaving a long legacy of thirty-seven years of law enforcement. "PaPa" loved his wife, children and grandchildren. They were his pride and joy. Besides his immediate family, Bill loved his law enforcement family too. He loved reminiscing with both active and retired troopers and sharing stories. He was active in the Retired Troopers Association. His favorite activities were spending time with "Momma" (his wife), going to his grandkids activities, watching Thunder basketball, watching Westerns, Nascar and bull riding on TV, and feeding and watering birds. He also loved eating catfish at Simon"s Catch. Bill was respected and loved by all law enforcement personnel and was a friend and brother to many.
Preceded in death by his parents and one brother Lawrence LaFrance, he is survived by his wife, Coline, of the home; his son, Shane of Oklahoma City and Daniel Corn, a friend of the family; his daughter Shannon Christian and husband Paul of Newcastle, Oklahoma; two grandchildren, Hunter and Haylee Christian; one sister, Ruby Phillips of Faxon, Oklahoma; one brother, Bob Runyan and wife Genny of Manchester, Tennessee; one sister-in-law, Mary LaFrance of Cache, Oklahoma; one brother-in-law, Truman Guynn of Las Vegas, Nevada along with many nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of many, many friends.
Funeral services for Bill Runyan will be at 2 p.m., Saturday, November 9, 2013, at the Mangum High School Auditorium. Interment will follow at Roselawn Cemetery under the direction of Greer Funeral Home of Mangum.
Online tributes may be made to the family at www.GreerFuneral.com
Bill's video will be available online Friday, November 8, 2013, after 1 p.m.
11/09/2013
2:00 PM
Funeral
Mangum High School Auditorium
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Mangum, Oklahoma 73554
(580) 782-3323
Billy Joe Runyan, age 75, of Mangum, went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, November 6, 2013, with his family at his side.
Bill was born in Cache, Oklahoma on August 5, 1938, to Crado Bruce and Lillie Belle (Ballenger) Runyan. After graduating from Cache High School in 1956, Bill proudly served his country in the United States Air Force from 1956 until 1959. On October 7, 1961, Bill married the love of his life, Coline Guynn, and they spent the next fifty-two wonderful years together before his death. Bill graduated from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol"s twenty-seventh academy in November of 1970, and was assigned to the Greer County detachment, badge 519. For many years Bill patrolled the roads of Southwest Oklahoma, until he was promoted to second lieutenant on September 1, 1984 and given badge 107. On June 1, 1989, Bill was promoted to first lieutenant and given command of Tillman, Jackson, Kiowa, Harmon and Greer Counties along with badge 37. In this command, Bill was instrumental in designing the new Troop M headquarters, in Altus. In 1997, Bill retired from the OHP and began working for the Greer County Sheriff"s Department, becoming sheriff, later that same year. After ten years as sheriff, Bill retired in 2007, leaving a long legacy of thirty-seven years of law enforcement. "PaPa" loved his wife, children and grandchildren. They were his pride and joy. Besides his immediate family, Bill loved his law enforcement family too. He loved reminiscing with both active and retired troopers and sharing stories. He was active in the Retired Troopers Association. His favorite activities were spending time with "Momma" (his wife), going to his grandkids activities, watching Thunder basketball, watching Westerns, Nascar and bull riding on TV, and feeding and watering birds. He also loved eating catfish at Simon"s Catch. Bill was respected and loved by all law enforcement personnel and was a friend and brother to many.
Preceded in death by his parents and one brother Lawrence LaFrance, he is survived by his wife, Coline, of the home; his son, Shane of Oklahoma City and Daniel Corn, a friend of the family; his daughter Shannon Christian and husband Paul of Newcastle, Oklahoma; two grandchildren, Hunter and Haylee Christian; one sister, Ruby Phillips of Faxon, Oklahoma; one brother, Bob Runyan and wife Genny of Manchester, Tennessee; one sister-in-law, Mary LaFrance of Cache, Oklahoma; one brother-in-law, Truman Guynn of Las Vegas, Nevada along with many nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of many, many friends.
Funeral services for Bill Runyan will be at 2 p.m., Saturday, November 9, 2013, at the Mangum High School Auditorium. Interment will follow at Roselawn Cemetery under the direction of Greer Funeral Home of Mangum.
Online tributes may be made to the family at www.GreerFuneral.com
Bill's video will be available online Friday, November 8, 2013, after 1 p.m.
11/09/2013
2:00 PM
Funeral
Mangum High School Auditorium
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