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Danny Ray Ledford was born into the loving arms of James Gordon and LaDora May Ledford in Fort Morgan, Colo., on December 12, 1959. Even though he called it home for only three years, a piece of him always stayed in the mountains, and his longing to see God's handiwork in the Rockies never faded.
Danny was raised in Tecumseh, Okla. He was a Cub Scout and a Boy Scout, which gave him the opportunity to usher at OU football games, instilling a lifelong love of Sooner football (unless they lost, in which case he HATED football). He was in band under the direction of Herb Moring, who would become his father-in-law MANY years later. He was active in football, baseball, wrestling, and First Baptist Church in Tecumseh, graduating as a Tecumseh Savage in 1978.
As a young adult, Danny worked at a veterinary clinic, a horse ranch, a jewelry store, and the Seminole Police Department. He also worked as a Sonic manager, where he injured his pinky and thus began a lifetime of bad jokes about his permanently crooked finger. Though a motorcycle accident cut his college plans short after just one semester, he returned to school later in life and completed his degree in religion at OBU in 2003. In the interim, he found his first career as a jeweler, working for Zales and Helzberg Diamonds.
Danny's marriage to Janet Freeman gave him Matt, Kelsey, and Katelyn, who have been his pride and joy always. No matter where he earned a living, fatherhood was always the most gratifying job he had. His nurturing nature and wild sense of humor, as well as his love of cooking, made him the best there is. In 2005, Danny found the career he was made for - teaching. And in 2006, he found the community he was made for - Jones. Teaching U.S. History and other electives in social studies was Danny's passion, and he was the favorite of many students. With a knack for integrating storytelling and video, Danny could make the past come alive in a way that kept his students learning and entertained. He made a reputation for teasing students in ways that may have resulted in termination anywhere else, which is perhaps why he stayed at his beloved Jones Middle School for 19 years.
In 2008, Danny married Sara Moring and made her the happiest woman in the world for 16 years. In 2015, he embraced fatherhood once more with the arrival of their son, Perry. He loved Sara and his four children faithfully, fiercely, and selflessly to the end.
Danny was a skilled craftsman who enjoyed carpentry and created many special pieces for those he loved. He could fix just about anything, but his master work was the complete restoration of his 1965 Mustang, in which he shared many joy rides with Perry. He also loved to work in the yard and cultivate his vegetable garden.
Danny ran to the loving arms of his heavenly Father on January 22, 2025, surrounded by family that adored him. Danny is preceded in death by his father, Jim Ledford.
Those who are grieving his loss the most are his wife, Sara; son, Perry; the "big kids," Matthew Ledford and wife Diane, Kelsey Ledford, and Katelyn Maxwell and husband Jacob; mother, LaDora; siblings, Kenny Ledford and Kerri Hale and husband Neal; nephew, Mackenzie; nieces, Ashley and Georgia; and grandson, Joseph ("JoJo"). In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to The Chosen at https://www.thechosen.tv/en-us/gift/donate, or checks may be mailed to Jones Middle School (16011 E Wilshire Blvd, Jones, OK 73049) to fund the Ledford Memorial Library of Military History.
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