NORMAN — Dalton Earl Petty, 85, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013, in Oklahoma City. He was born in Norman on Sept. 12, 1927, to Professor Edward C. and Dovie B. Petty.
Services will be 2 p.m. today at Westside Church of Christ, with interment following in Sunset Memorial Park.
He attended McKinley Grade School, Norman Junior High School and Norman High School and was an Eagle Scout. Dalton also attended the University of Oklahoma, the Taylor Instrument School in Philadelphia, Pa., and Southwestern State University Instrument School in Weatherford, where he graduated with a degree in horology.
Dalton loved his country and served with the U.S. Navy in both World War II and the Korean War. While attending school, he met June Mason, whom he married June 24, 1949. They had three daughters and, later, seven granddaughters.
After Dalton’s service in the Navy ended, he worked at Tinker Air Force Base as an aircraft instrument technician, as well as for his father-in-law’s lumber business. In 1955, he purchased a hardware store and operated it on Main Street for 10 years. In 1965, he opened a sporting goods store next to Norman High School. Then, another 10 years later in 1975, he joined brother-in-law, Johnnie Mason, in working for the Farmers Insurance Agency. In 1999, he finally began his official retirement, but he then began working part-time for the Monty Moore insurance agency, from which he never retired.
Dalton was a life-long member of the Church of Christ. As a young man, he was a member of the Old Central Church of Christ. Later, he became a deacon at University Church of Christ, and he served as both deacon and elder at the Westside Church of Christ. He was a charter member of Westside for 55 years and served as an elder for 50 years.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Professor Edward C. and Dovie B. Petty; his brother, Ed and wife Melba of Maryland; and his brother-in-law, Floyd Brazile of Washington.
Dalton is survived by his wife of 63 years, June Petty; their three daughters, Penny and Bill Sledge of Moore, Judy and Gary Roden of Norman and Suzy and Paul Boyett of California; their seven granddaughters, Stacia and Julie Sledge, Julia, Rebecca and Kimberly Roden and Christina and Elizabeth Boyett; and his sister, Ann Brazile of Washington.
Memorials may be made to the Westside Church of Christ Youth Group, 726 McGee Drive, Norman, OK 73069.
Arrangements for Dalton and his family were placed in the care of the Vice family at Havenbrook Funeral Home.
Online condolences may be shared at www.havenbrookfuneralhome.com.
Norman Transcript, Friday, Feb. 22, 2013
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