Graveside service with full military honors for CSM (Retired) Rudy N. Hightower will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 27, 2023, at Fairlawn Cemetery, Chickasha, Oklahoma with Rev. Larry Thoma officiating.

Arrangements are under the direction of Becker-Rabon Funeral Home.

Family will greet friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Friday at the funeral home.

CSM (Retired) Rudy Norman Hightower, 93, of Elgin, Oklahoma, passed away Wednesday, May 24, 2023,  in Lawton, Oklahoma.

Rudy was born July 7, 1929, at home about 18 miles southeast of Chickasha, Oklahoma to William and Ida (Northam) Hightower.

He attended elementary school at Union Hill, Ninnekah, and Northwest Grade School. He then continued his education at Chickasha Jr. High and finally graduated from Chickasha High School in 1948. His dad was a share crop farmer, so the family moved a lot throughout his life.

After graduation, he spent the summer months working with his dad at the Ice Company, selling newspapers on the corner of Chickasha Avenue and 5th Street, and working as a soda jerk at the Owl Drug Store, and selling shoes. It was during his stint as a shoe salesman that he said he bought his first pair of blue suede shoes.

After graduating from high school, he worked for a time at the Oklahoma State Extension office in Chickasha.  After that, he did the bookkeeping and sold furniture for Griffin Furniture Store. He then went to Draughn's Business School in Oklahoma City and worked for Leeway Freight Co. at night. In 1949, Rudy returned to Chickasha.

He joined the Oklahoma National Guard. He went to Fort Sill for physicals, to Fort Polk, Louisiana, for training, and then on to Fort Gordon, Georgia, to radio school. After completing school, he went to Japan for about a year of training and then deployed to the Korean War. He landed at Inchon and the harbor was so shallow that the ship had to stop out in the gulf. They went in on a barge and then put on a Korean cattle train. He was in Korea in 1951 and part of 1952.  He returned to the States in June 1952 and was discharged. He stayed in the National Guard, 158 FA Bn 45th Infantry Division until his retirement as a Command Sergeant Major in 1980.

In 1952, Rudy went to work at Tinker AFB as an Electric Accounting Machine (EAM) operator. He left Tinker to go to work for the National Gypsum Co. in Parsons, Kansas, as an EAM operator. They made artillery ammunition for the army. The contract was not renewed so he returned to Chickasha in 1953 and went back to work for Tinker AFB. He met Douleta in the spring of 1954 and they married on December 18, 1954.

Rudy and Douleta moved from Chickasha to Oklahoma City and then on to Sand Springs where he worked for Warren Petroleum Co.

They made one more move in 1962, with a move to Elgin when Rudy accepted a job at Fort Sill. He worked for the Management Information Systems, the Field Artillery School and, the Field Artillery Tactical Data Systems until his retirement in 1989.
He was the Treasurer for the Town of Elgin for 28 years and also served on the City Council.
Rudy has been the president of the Lions Club, the Commander and Quartermaster of VFW Post 8580, and a member of the American Legion.
In his spare time, Rudy loved to fish, golf, or pitch horseshoes. He also loved eating pizza and watching OU football. He was a wonderful dad and will be missed terribly.
Rudy was survived by his wife of the home; son, Brad Hightower and partner, Denise; daughter, Lori Pearcy and husband, Kevin; and, son Greg Hightower and wife, Amanda. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Tamra Hightower; Tara Hoosier and husband, Chris; Shanna Richardson and husband, Antonio; Courtney Henderson; Trey Pearcy and wife, BreeAnn; Trenton Pearcy and wife, Carly; Spencer Hightower; Brady Hightower, Sadie Hightower; and, Rylan Stedman; sixteen great-grandchildren and 4 great great-grandchildren, his brother-in-law, Keith Fitzgerald and wife, Jan; a sister-in-law, Karen Fitzgerald, and numerous special nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by one son, Gregory Clint; parents; grandparents; four brothers; and, son-in-law, Kenny Holbrook.