A memorial service honoring the life of Richard Perry Gebhart will be 10 a.m. Thursday, June 4, 2015. The Claremore Expo Center, a facility Richard supported wholeheartedly, will be the setting for this ceremony. The life celebrating memorial will conclude with the Gebhart’s inviting their friends in attendance to share birthday cake in honor of Richard’s 59th birthday. In preparation for his 59th birthday celebration, those who wish to share a special memory may bring a written story to either the memorial service or the time of visitation, which will be held from 4-6 on Wednesday evening at Rice Funeral Service. Sweet tea will be served and family will be there to receive visitors. The memorial service will be a time to reflect, admire and appreciate the full, accomplished and constantly giving life that was Richard Gebhart. He passed away Saturday morning, May 30, 2015, after an illness which began in Colorado and ended 93 days later at St. Francis Hospital – a time when he was never alone and his courage never waned. With his father a career military officer, Richard was born on June 4, 1956 in Frankfurt, West Germany. He was the only child of J.D. and Martha Helene (Perry) Gebhart. The family of three returned to the states in 1958. Home for them was in Texas with J.D. stationed at Fort Hood until retirement in the early sixties. Then Fort Smith, Arkansas was home for Richard until his graduation from Southside High School with the class of 1974. He went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Arkansas. His hunger for greater knowledge was never ending as he currently holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Tulsa, a Masters of Business Administration from Syracuse University and a Master’s Degree in Agricultural Economics/ Animal Science from Mississippi State University as well as postgraduate research at the University of Kansas. While earning his first degree at the University of Arkansas, Richard and Susan Elizabeth Carter met. Though Susan had come to a party with another gentlemen, both knew at first meeting they wanted to build a lasting relationship. Richard politely, but firmly, dismissed Susan’s date in his typical take charge style. On October 30, 1978 the two married in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Richard had a strong love of country which was reflected in his thirty year career in the U.S. Army as an infantry officer. He was an expert marksman with every weapon issued to him, and he had an unprecedented assignment of having two company commands. Richard had the high respect of both those serving under his command and the officers he worked alongside. He had a unique ability to see the strengths in others while minimizing their weaknesses in order to accomplish the complex tasks required in military assignments. It’s hard to differentiate between whether Richard already had the personality to take command of any situation before his military career or if those skills were developed due to that career experience. Maybe it was the perfect combination of both. That forceful personality which took him through both the Cold War and Desert Storm may be the most obvious to most people; however, he also had a side that showed his passionate love of the arts. Yes, he could lead in service and in his multiple career roles; but, he could also have a tea party with beloved granddaughter, McKenzie, or pretend the cat was a mountain for young grandson, Gus, to take his cowboys and Indians over. Faith, family, friends, career, and community were balanced perfectly within the heart and life of Richard Gebhart. It’s been said by those who know him best, that he could accomplish more in a given 24 hour period than one could imagine. He began each and every day with an hour long time of reading and meditating on God’s truths. Only then was he ready to go to work in his multiple career paths. Richard was a fourth generation cattleman who with his family owned and operated Beacon Hill Ranch in Langley. The family-owned Hereford operation was established in Northeastern Oklahoma in 1909 and focuses on purebred Hereford cattle beginning in the 1950’s which earned the family Golden Hereford Breeder status several years ago. In addition to the ranching operation, Richard was a professor of Operations Management and Director of Assessment in the Collins College of Business at the University of Tulsa. He was an active volunteer leader in the cattle industry for many years, at the local, state and national levels. Within Oklahoma, he is the current President and lifetime member of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association. In addition, Richard is the current Vice-Chair of the Oklahoma Beef Council. He is the past Chairman of the Tulsa State Fair Junior Livestock Auction Committee and is currently a board member of the Rogers County Cattlemen’s Association as well as Treasurer of the Rogers County Fair Board. There are many more contributions which associate with his passion as a cattleman, but possibly the accomplishment he took the greatest pride in was the mentoring of his beloved “Barn Kids.” This was a project that grew and developed numerous young people as he provided them with livestock to show, life lessons to learn, and yes, barns to clean. All of these young people have gone on in their lives to find success in higher learning and careers. But more importantly, they have found a lifelong bond with a man whom they love and respect. With all of the commitments there was still ‘all the time in the world’ for his family. He’d relax at home most evenings, donning his cap with the Beacon Hill brand and his comfy Crocs. That might be the time he’d read his book for the day or watch a Cardinals game with “his Matt.” Richard always had time for his family, and though he was called Colonel by many, he most loved the tiles Dad and PePaw. And what would he do without his girls – his “management team,” if you will – first Susan “Miss Kitty,” then daughters Erica and Roxane. There were frequent lunches and pedicures shared with he and his girls. Often there was a special little prize to his girls just to say ‘I love you.’ Some of those prizes were useful and some were just beautiful. How proud he was of his daughters’ service with the Oklahoma Air National Guard. Each step in this life that was taken by Richard Gebhart helped to make life better for others. A close family friend, Heather Buckmaster, may have said it best when she wrote a message saying, “The depth and breadth of his immense intelligence is only surpassed by his immense heart.” Richard is survived by a community of people who will miss his humble and giving spirit. But those who will miss him most are his family members which include his wife, Susan “Miss Kitty” Gebhart, of Claremore; his daughters Roxane Gebhart of Claremore and Erica Boyer and husband, Matt, of Langley, and their children, McKenzie and Gus and mother-in-law, Roberta Carter of Tulsa. Those who wish to honor Richard’s memory with a memorial gift may do so with donations to the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation for future scholarships and funding of the Youth of Oklahoma Beef Industry, 2500 Exchange Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73108.
Beth A. Richards (Swenson)
Richard Perry Gebhart
June 4, 1956 - May 30, 2015
A memorial service honoring the life of Richard Perry Gebhart will be 10 a.m. Thursday, June 4, 2015. The Claremore Expo Center, a facility Richard supported wholeheartedly, will be the setting for this ceremony. The life celebrating memorial will conclude with the Gebhart’s inviting their friends in attendance to share birthday cake in honor of Richard’s 59th birthday. In preparation for his 59th birthday celebration, those who wish to share a special memory may bring a written story to either the memorial service or the time of visitation, which will be held from 4-6 on Wednesday evening at Rice Funeral Service. Sweet tea will be served and family will be there to receive visitors. The memorial service will be a time to reflect, admire and appreciate the full, accomplished and constantly giving life that was Richard Gebhart. He passed away Saturday morning, May 30, 2015, after an illness which began in Colorado and ended 93 days later at St. Francis Hospital – a time when he was never alone and his courage never waned. With his father a career military officer, Richard was born on June 4, 1956 in Frankfurt, West Germany. He was the only child of J.D. and Martha Helene (Perry) Gebhart. The family of three returned to the states in 1958. Home for them was in Texas with J.D. stationed at Fort Hood until retirement in the early sixties. Then Fort Smith, Arkansas was home for Richard until his graduation from Southside High School with the class of 1974. He went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Arkansas. His hunger for greater knowledge was never ending as he currently holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Tulsa, a Masters of Business Administration from Syracuse University and a Master’s Degree in Agricultural Economics/ Animal Science from Mississippi State University as well as postgraduate research at the University of Kansas. While earning his first degree at the University of Arkansas, Richard and Susan Elizabeth Carter met. Though Susan had come to a party with another gentlemen, both knew at first meeting they wanted to build a lasting relationship. Richard politely, but firmly, dismissed Susan’s date in his typical take charge style. On October 30, 1978 the two married in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Richard had a strong love of country which was reflected in his thirty year career in the U.S. Army as an infantry officer. He was an expert marksman with every weapon issued to him, and he had an unprecedented assignment of having two company commands. Richard had the high respect of both those serving under his command and the officers he worked alongside. He had a unique ability to see the strengths in others while minimizing their weaknesses in order to accomplish the complex tasks required in military assignments. It’s hard to differentiate between whether Richard already had the personality to take command of any situation before his military career or if those skills were developed due to that career experience. Maybe it was the perfect combination of both. That forceful personality which took him through both the Cold War and Desert Storm may be the most obvious to most people; however, he also had a side that showed his passionate love of the arts. Yes, he could lead in service and in his multiple career roles; but, he could also have a tea party with beloved granddaughter, McKenzie, or pretend the cat was a mountain for young grandson, Gus, to take his cowboys and Indians over. Faith, family, friends, career, and community were balanced perfectly within the heart and life of Richard Gebhart. It’s been said by those who know him best, that he could accomplish more in a given 24 hour period than one could imagine. He began each and every day with an hour long time of reading and meditating on God’s truths. Only then was he ready to go to work in his multiple career paths. Richard was a fourth generation cattleman who with his family owned and operated Beacon Hill Ranch in Langley. The family-owned Hereford operation was established in Northeastern Oklahoma in 1909 and focuses on purebred Hereford cattle beginning in the 1950’s which earned the family Golden Hereford Breeder status several years ago. In addition to the ranching operation, Richard was a professor of Operations Management and Director of Assessment in the Collins College of Business at the University of Tulsa. He was an active volunteer leader in the cattle industry for many years, at the local, state and national levels. Within Oklahoma, he is the current President and lifetime member of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association. In addition, Richard is the current Vice-Chair of the Oklahoma Beef Council. He is the past Chairman of the Tulsa State Fair Junior Livestock Auction Committee and is currently a board member of the Rogers County Cattlemen’s Association as well as Treasurer of the Rogers County Fair Board. There are many more contributions which associate with his passion as a cattleman, but possibly the accomplishment he took the greatest pride in was the mentoring of his beloved “Barn Kids.” This was a project that grew and developed numerous young people as he provided them with livestock to show, life lessons to learn, and yes, barns to clean. All of these young people have gone on in their lives to find success in higher learning and careers. But more importantly, they have found a lifelong bond with a man whom they love and respect. With all of the commitments there was still ‘all the time in the world’ for his family. He’d relax at home most evenings, donning his cap with the Beacon Hill brand and his comfy Crocs. That might be the time he’d read his book for the day or watch a Cardinals game with “his Matt.” Richard always had time for his family, and though he was called Colonel by many, he most loved the tiles Dad and PePaw. And what would he do without his girls – his “management team,” if you will – first Susan “Miss Kitty,” then daughters Erica and Roxane. There were frequent lunches and pedicures shared with he and his girls. Often there was a special little prize to his girls just to say ‘I love you.’ Some of those prizes were useful and some were just beautiful. How proud he was of his daughters’ service with the Oklahoma Air National Guard. Each step in this life that was taken by Richard Gebhart helped to make life better for others. A close family friend, Heather Buckmaster, may have said it best when she wrote a message saying, “The depth and breadth of his immense intelligence is only surpassed by his immense heart.” Richard is survived by a community of people who will miss his humble and giving spirit. But those who will miss him most are his family members which include his wife, Susan “Miss Kitty” Gebhart, of Claremore; his daughters Roxane Gebhart of Claremore and Erica Boyer and husband, Matt, of Langley, and their children, McKenzie and Gus and mother-in-law, Roberta Carter of Tulsa. Those who wish to honor Richard’s memory with a memorial gift may do so with donations to the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation for future scholarships and funding of the Youth of Oklahoma Beef Industry, 2500 Exchange Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73108.