Funeral service for Teddy Gene (Pops) VanHoozer will be 1:30 PM Thursday, December 17, 2020 in the Becker-Rabon Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Doug Passmore, pastor of First Baptist East officiating.

Burial will follow in Letitia Cemetery, east of Lawton.

The family will greet friends from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm Wednesday at the funeral home.

The service may be viewed by following the livestream link at www.beckerfuneral.com or by visiting the Becker-Rabon Facebook page.

Teddy Gene (Pops) VanHoozer, age 88, passed away Friday, December 11 2020 in Lawton.  He was a one of a kind true hero to all his family and friends.  He was born February 7, 1932 to N.B. and Florence VanHoozer in the Bethel community east of Lawton, and was one of four kids. Like most kids in that time he enjoyed fishing, playing in the creek and playing catch with his older brother, Billy B., who later played in the minor leagues.  According to Pops, Billy B. was only a good pitcher because Pops was a great catcher.

Pops met the love of his life Jean (Granny) McCarley when they were in school together at Central High School. They both loved sports and played basketball.  The first time he saw her up in the stands, he knew he could never let her leave his sight. They were both named basketball King and Queen, just not at the same time because Granny was a year older than him, which was a fact she liked to remind him of.

Pops started working as a young man unloading freight boxes in the Fairmont District in downtown Lawton, and soon after that he married Jean. Trying to further his career, he began working in the oil field for Haliburton.  It didn't take him long to figure out that that wasn't the life for him.  They came back home and planted their roots in Lawton, Oklahoma.    He got a job working for Mead's Fine Bread and started a family.  He worked for Mead's for 30 years until he retired.

A dream to live in the country took them east of Lawton to the Pumpkin Center area where Pops started "Cowboying". He loved to count cattle and feed his horses.  Pops enjoyed making this a family affair. All of the grandkids, and later great grandkids, would go to the home place with him to check the cows and enjoy some fishing.  Pops loved teaching the grandkids how to ride and frequently took them to playdays. Everyone started with the same horse, Cloudy, who was fed a special diet of Pepsi and leftovers. As the grandkids got older, Pops enjoyed going to the coffee shop at Pumpkin Center to meet with the guys so they could solve the world's problems…or gossip.  When Pops wasn't checking cows or sipping coffee, he provided a reliable taxi service to his family and was a pretty good lawn maintenance man.

Pop was a man with a big heart and would do anything to help someone in need.  If he met you once, he loved you for a lifetime.  His marriage to Jean was a true partnership that lasted for 64 years. People always commented on how cute they looked because they were always holding hands.  Pops was a perfect example of how a man should treat his wife.  He was always loving on her and supporting her in her career as bank president by taking care of the home so she could fulfill her own dreams as a successful business woman.   He was never in the spotlight, but was the rock for the whole family.

Teddy was proceeded in death by his parents, N.B. and Florence VanHoozer, wife, Jean VanHoozer, daughter, Nancy Bradley, brother, Billy B. VanHoozer, sister, Charlene Hamilton and sister-in-law, Vadie Taylor.

Survivors include his sons,, Dewayne VanHoozer and wife, Ella, and David VanHoozer. grandsons, Billy Flood and wife, Shelly, Jason VanHoozer and wife, Amber. Granddaughters, Angel Bradley and significant other Thomas, Phaidra Bradley, Jennifer Witten and husband, Chad, Diane VanHoozer and Janet VanHoozer.  Also surviving are his sister-in-law, Sadie Fanning, brother-in-law, Ted McCarley and wife, Jo, sister-in-law, Melba VanHoozer, sister, Madell Butram, and great grandkids Christopher, Colby, Alexander, Taylor, and Jaycee. He had many nieces, nephews and extended family that meant the world to him.