Funeral service for Jean Elizabeth (McCarley) VanHoozer, age 84, Lawton will be 1:30 p.m. Friday, November 4, 2016 in Becker-Rabon Funeral Home Chapel.

Burial will be in Letitia Cemetery, east of Lawton.

The family will greet friends from 6-8 pm Thursday at the funeral home.

Jean Elizabeth (McCarley) VanHoozer  died Sunday, October 30, 2016 in Lawton.  She was born May 4, 1932, to T.O. (Ossie) and Gladys McCarley on a small farm somewhere between Lawton and Marlow, Oklahoma. She arrived in this world so early that most of the neighbors did not know that she was expected. When she announced her arrival, her mother was at home alone with her mother-in-law. Jean was so small that she could fit in the palm of your hand. Her grandmother wrapped her up, placed her in a shoe box, and then put her on the warming plate of the wood stove to keep her warm. Jean showed everyone right then that she was a fighter and she spent the rest of her life proving it.

Jean met the love of her life, Teddy VanHoozer, when they were in school together at Central High School. They both loved sports and played basketball. They both were also named Basketball Queen and King, just not at the same time. Education was very important to her and she spent two years at Oklahoma Baptist University. Before she and Ted married, Jean made a promise to her Daddy that she would not give up and she would graduate from college. That marriage, a true partnership, gone into with thought and deliberation, lasted for 64 years. People have always commented on how cute they looked because they were always holding hands.

After their marriage they moved into Lawton, where her first job was as the secretary to the superintendent of schools. In her interview, she was asked to take dictation then type a letter. She asked a few questions before she typed the letter, and of course it was perfect. She was told that you could tell the difference in country girls because they knew how to work and get things right the first time.

She quickly worked her way up to head of the business department and to deputy clerk of the board. Several members of the school administration got together and created the Lawton Teachers Federal Credit Union. When they started running in to some difficult times, they asked Jean if she would mind looking the situation over and see if she had any ideas that would help. She agreed, looked, poked and prodded, then made a few suggestions. The Credit Union Board listened to her and decided that what they really needed was her.

With serious thought, she left the Board of Education and spent the next 30 years as the manager, president — CEO of the Lawton Teachers Federal Credit Union. She devoted her life to helping people. It was not unusual for her to get telephone calls at home from someone needing assistance. She helped people manage their money and would personally work with them to teach them the skills they needed to handle their financial obligations or meet their financial goals.

She worked with the Oklahoma Credit Union League for years, setting precedents and lobbying Washington for laws that would benefit Credit Union Members and differentiate nonprofit Credit Unions from Banks. When tragedy struck the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City (where a Credit Union was housed), she grabbed a few of her employees and rushed up there to help set up a temporary Credit Union so that members could have access to their money. Even terrorism could not stop her from helping where she thought she was needed.

She became an auditor and worked with several area school districts and the Great Plains Technology Center to ensure that they were following all federal guidelines and managing their money appropriately. This was just an extension of her love for and service to the public school systems as well as the people that made them work.

Often, we would be in town and people would come up to her and say, "Mrs. Van Hoozer, you may not remember me, but when I first started teaching you helped me get a handle on all the school debts that I still had," or you helped me buy my first house or my first car.

She would say, "Of course I remember you. I remember when your Dad (or Mom) brought you in to set up your account. You were turning cart wheels down the hall." Most of the time it was true. Towards the end she would start combining details of different stories, but the main thing was that she made everyone feel like she remembered them, they were special to her and she was proud of them.

As busy as she was with her career, her home life did not lack for attention. She and Ted produced three children: Dewayne, Nancy and David. At first the whole gang followed Ted and played in the dirt while he played softball. Before long things changed and Ted was coaching Dewayne in baseball (David got to be the bat boy) and Jean was coaching Nancy in softball. Things got a little complicated when Dewayne was in junior high and got sick. He spent about a year in the hospital in Oklahoma City with Ted and Jean driving back and forth every day. This eventually passed and there were more sporting events, drama events and dances to watch.

When she finally got the kids all grown, here came the grandkids with more teams that had to have a coach or a manager or just a heavy duty cheering section. She was an equal opportunity Granny. It did not matter if it was a ball game, a swimming race, a horse show, a beauty pageant or a dance recital. She was right there front and center whenever possible. She wrangled horses and transported kids for GNHA playdays. Her girls always had beautifully special, one of a kind, handmade dresses for any event and for Easter.

She kept her promise to her Daddy, and graduated from Cameron University with her children, grandchildren and relatives from near and far there to watch and cheer as she crossed the stage to get her diploma.  Her most important legacy to us all was her spiritual beliefs. When she was at school at OBU, she taught classes at a local church and worked with kids at a ranch retreat there. As a member of Trinity Baptist Church, she taught classes for young adult women.

There were many times when her steadfastness helped people deal with family and life difficulties. At Letitia Baptist Church she worked as part of a team teaching the kindergarten class.

In short she was a CARETAKER. Her sisters, her brother and the rest of the family knew where to go if they needed a little help. She was Granny to us and also to over half of the country around.

A fire took her home and everything she owned a few years back. There were many awards and certificates that went up in flames, but we don't need them. We were there. Nothing can take away our memories of all the kisses, hugs, pats and words of encouragement she gave us.

Jean was preceded in death by her parents T.O. (Ossie) and Gladys McCarley; her sister and brother-in-law Gwanda and Lee Golightly, her nephew Brent Golightly; her brother-in-law Layne Fanning; her brother-in-law Bob Taylor and her nephew Darrel Taylor.

She is survived by her husband Ted VanHoozer and daughter Nancy Bradley of the home; her son David VanHoozer of Sterling; her son Dewayne and wife Ella VanHoozer of Louisiana; sisters Sadie Fanning of Texas and Vadie Taylor of Duncan; brother Ted and wife Jo McCarley of Edmond. She had seven grandchildren: Billy Flood and wife Shelly, Angel Bradley, Phaidra Pruitt, Jason VanHoozer and wife Amber, Jennifer Whitten and Husband Chad, Diane VanHoozer, and Janet VanHoozer. She had five greatgrandchildren: Christopher and Alexander Johanning; Colby Flood; Taylor and Jaycee VanHoozer. She had many nieces, nephews and extended family that meant the world to her.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Lawton Public School Foundation, P.O. Box 2323, Lawton OK 73502.