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Major (Ret) Billy Lee Fyffe, U.S. Army, 87, of Midwest City, Okla. died April 23rd, 2009. Major Fyffe joined the navy in 1940. He served during WWII and the Korean conflict, retiring in 1964 at Fort Carson, Colorado, after 22 years of service. He was on board the destroyer, USS Patterson, in Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7th, 1941 when the Japanese attacked. He was one of the last few Oklahoma Pearl Harbor survivors. He participated in 15 major sea battles, 13 major landings in the Pacific area during the retaking of the islands on the return to Japan. During a troop landing on Dec. 7, 1944, on the west side of Leyte in the Philippines, his destroyer, the USS Mahan, was attacked by kamikaze planes and sunk. His time in the water waiting to be rescued and the deaths caused him many years of bad memories. He said that he couldn't make friends because they would just get killed. So, he had lots of acquaintances but very few close friends.
After his time in the navy, he was married to Denna Fo Terrel in 1946. He then accomplished one of his main goals in life, going to OU, and graduating later from OCU and starting OCU law school. However, he was called back to active duty in the army and sent to Korea in 1952. After retiring, he moved back to Oklahoma. He joined the IWCS - International Wood Collectors Society and enjoyed it so much. He carved 800 small cowboy boots, each of different woods from all over the world. Bill also joined the Oklahoma City Wood Carvers. Over the years he carved everything his imagination and nature allowed. The carvings of his 80 crosses were especially important to him. He lectured on his crosses at many churches.
Bill was born on Buster Bailey's farm south of Rush Springs, Okla. on Jan. 22, 1922, the third of eight children. The son of Earle Harold and Anna Belle Fyffe.
He was preceded in death by his parents, one sister, Mary Jan Davis; his brothers Harold Wallace, Jack Bruce, ElRay, ElRoy, and Archie.
Billy is survived by his wife of 63 years, Denna Fo, daughter, Carol Dowell and husband Dr. Gene Dowell of Ansbach, Germany, son Jack Bruce Fyffe, and wife Jane of Colleyville, Texas, son Christopher Lee Fyffe and wife Melissa of Flower Mound, Texas. Seven grandchildren: Jaxon Fyffe of Keller, Texas, Sarah Stewart of Keller, Texas, David Dowell of Ghana, West Africa, Colin Dowell of Gulf Breeze, Florida, Sean Dowell of Seattle, Washington, Cameron Fyffe and Connor Fyffe of Flower Mound, Texas, and one great-granddaughter, Rian Stewart of Keller, Texas, one sister, Pat Fyffe of Missouri, and four sister-in-laws: Ida Bess Fyffe, Marjorie Fyffe, Imogene Fyffe and Mae Fyffe.
Visitation will be Sunday, April 26th, 3 to 4 PM at Barnes Friederich Funeral Home. Funeral is Monday, April 27th, 2PM at the funeral home. Memorials may be made in lieu of flowers in Bill's name to the Oklahoma City Medical Research Foundation for Cancer Research.
Dad: you will be missed more than you could have ever imagined.
Funeral
Barnes Friederich Funeral Home Chapel
1820 S. Douglas Blvd.
MIDWEST CITY, OK 73130
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