Tom Stapleton

Tom was born in Lawton, Oklahoma on March 29, 1956. He was the third of four children, and the only boy. He collected marbles, coins, and stamps; delivered newspapers for the Lawton Constitution; and scooped ice cream at LaSill's. He graduated from Lawton High School in 1974. That year, he received All-Conference football honors and was elected president of his class.

At the University of Oklahoma, he earned a B.S. in Geology and was a member of Beta Theta Pi. While studying in Norman, Tom took a job waiting tables at Crosstimbers Restaurant and found Gayla Myers working behind the bar. Tom and Gayla married in 1981 and together raised four girls in a loving and joyful home. Tom was proud of his daughters, and told them so.

Tom was a founder and partner of Triad Energy, Inc., an independent oil and gas exploration company in operation since 1981. He was well respected by industry peers for his geological talent, business acumen, and unimpeachable integrity. It was a pleasure to work with him. Tom was a longtime member of the Wildcatters Club of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association, and the Oklahoma City Geological Society. From 2001 to 2008, he was a member of the Alumni Advisory Council for the University of Oklahoma School of Geology and Geophysics.

Tom served on the Casady School Board of Trustees, the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club Board of Directors, the Vestry of St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral, and the Board of Directors for Historical Preservation, Inc. He coached his daughters in T-ball and basketball, and attended more dance recitals and choir concerts than most would consider healthy.

Tom was a lifelong fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, an enthusiastic golfer of average ability, and a lot of fun at a party. He enjoyed smoking cigars and doing crossword puzzles with a freshly sharpened Blackwing pencil. His intellectual curiosity was both broad and deep, and his sense of humor was one of a kind. He was devoted to his family and his many wonderful friends. He listened intently and chose his words with care. He was generous with his time. He was humble. In fact, it probably makes him a little uncomfortable to be the subject of such a glowing obituary.

Tom was preceded in death by his mother Beverly Saffa Stapleton of Lawton, Oklahoma. He is survived by his beloved wife Gayla Stapleton of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; daughter Taylor Stapleton of Brooklyn, New York; daughter Macey Stapleton, currently residing in Tunis, Tunisia; daughter Emily Stapleton, son-in-law Gonzalo Landa Suberbie, and grandson Mateo Landa Stapleton of Dallas, Texas; daughter Alex Stapleton of Brooklyn, New York; sister Michale Stapleton and Marva Ellard of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; sister Pati Stapleton and John Gillespie of Destin, Florida; sister Susie Simon and Floyd Jr. of Clinton, Oklahoma; nieces and nephews Shelbi and Jeff Blank, Stephanie Simon, Floyd III and Corinne Simon, Clinton Simon, and Helen and Vic Wheeler.

Visitation will be held at Hahn-Cook Street & Draper in Oklahoma City on July 6, 2023, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. with the family present. Funeral service will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral on July 7, 2023, at 2:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made in support of the Thomas S. Stapleton Scholarship Fund at the University of Oklahoma. Checks made payable to the “OU Foundation” (with “In Memory of Thomas S. Stapleton” in the memo field) can be mailed to:

The University of Oklahoma Foundation

P.O. Box 258856

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73125-8856

**Parking in the vicinity of the church is limited, so please allow adequate time to find a space, and plan to carpool if possible. ** ~ On Behalf of the Family