Lester Ropp

Lester Gale Ropp was born September 3, 1941, to Edward Gale Ropp and Opal Maxine (Oliver) Ropp in Bartlesville, OK.  Lester passed away May 18, 2020 at his home in Bartlesville.

Lester was one of a kind. He should have been a minister. He liked to minister to everybody.

He mowed an elderly lady’s yard for 20 years and she paid him with a pot of butter beans.  He emptied another ladies trash for 10 years and nobody knew.

He met the mail man every day with a Pepsi in the mailbox. That is how the mail man knew he had passed, no Pepsi.  He kept a fridge of soda in the garage so the trash collectors could have a cold drink every day.

Each weekday he would go to Luby’s, getting the biggest sack they had & buy 15-20 biscuits & gravy and deliver them to friends in the hospital or businesses where they worked. The next day he did it again to different people.  He called in birthdays to the radio every night of people he knew.  If they won, he would go get their prize and take it to them.  The kids always knew when he had been fishing because all the contents of his wallet were drying out on the kitchen table.  He never went without falling in.  He handed out candy everywhere he went especially all the ladies at the bank and credit union and sometimes they got biscuits and gravy.  One Christmas the Credit Union ladies bought him silk pajamas and house shoes.

He had monthly dinners with his daughters Sheila and Shelest.  He golfed weekly with his friend Bob Fisher.  They painted their golf balls red and orange so they could see them in the snow.  He golfed once a year with his son and grandson.  He Co-owned an antique shop for years and took many road trips with daughter Whitney and her friend James Antiquing.  He enjoyed many OU games with James as well.

He spent many hours on the road with Sheila to buy more junk they didn’t need. Made 15 trips to Branson seeing, just about every show on the strip.  And boy did he like to dance. He spent his childhood in dance halls and speakeasys, dancing with grown women, in Oklahoma and Kansas.  He started dancing when he was 8 or 9.  By the time he was 10 he was dancing at Cains Ballroom in Tulsa.  In his lifetime he had 31 Weiner dogs.  All of them were his kids.  Sheila claims he loved them more than her.  He built many a booth for the kids’ carnival Fun Nights. Cheered his kids on at their sporting events. Gave 3 daughters away in marriage.

Lester belonged to the Eagles Lodge for 40 years, the Oak Park Lions for 40 years, DeMolays & Odd Fellows for 15 years, the Moose Lodge for 20 years.  He sponsored FFA scholarships in Dewey for 5 years, 2 baseball teams for 5 years.  He was the most winning coach of the Blackwell Zinc Colt and Pony Teams for 7 of the 11 years and he umpired for 7 years.

He was on many bowling teams.  His and Sheila’s first meeting was at a dance.  He was 17 and she was 14.  She didn’t notice him all night.  After the dance her stepfather was helping her with her coat when a voice from behind said “May I do that sir?” When she turned around it was Lester and they both knew at that moment. Forever was their future. Lester will have a lot of stars in his crown.

Lester is survived by: his wife, Sheila Kaye Ropp; 3 daughters, Shelest Longnecker and her husband Bob, Whitney Barnes, and Morgan Jenkins and her husband Chad; 3 sons, Destry Ropp, Gannon Ropp and his wife Sunnye, and Brad Billingsley and his wife Heather; 16 grandchildren; 7 great-grandchildren, Uncle Carl & Joan, Aunt Florence, and Aunt June, all in their 80s and 90s, many 1st and 2nd cousins, and immediate family.  He was preceded in death by his grandparents and his parents.

Memorial Services for Lester will be held Saturday October 2, at 4:00 pm in the Arnold Moore & Neekamp Chapel.  Online condolences can be left at www.honoringmemories.com.