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Lawrence Peck, a devoted educator and beloved family man, passed away on June 22, 2025 in his Bartlesville home, at the age of 89.
Born on January 9, 1936, in Guthrie, Oklahoma, Lawrence was the youngest of three sons born to Jamie and Marybelle Peck. In 1945, the Peck family moved to Ochelata, where Lawrence spent his formative years. He attended school in nearby Ramona and was remembered as a basketball player, graduating in 1955 as class president and salutatorian.
Lawrence earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Science from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. During his time in Stillwater, he met the mother of his children, Velta Ruth Langley. He began his career in education teaching math and science, and also drove the school bus at Ramona School. In a memorable act of support, his father stepped down from the school board to enable Lawrence’s hiring as a teacher.
After three years, Lawrence transitioned into the aerospace industry, working as a control analyst for North American Aviation on the historic Apollo Space Program. Yet his heart remained in education, and he returned to the classroom with Tulsa Public Schools, teaching math while earning a master’s degree in counseling from the University of Tulsa. He went on to serve as a middle school counselor until his retirement in 1992.
Even in retirement, Lawrence continued to impact lives by teaching math as an adjunct professor at Tulsa Community College. He was a lifelong learner who deeply valued education and personal growth.
Though he spent most of his adult life in Tulsa, Lawrence faithfully maintained his parents’ ranch outside of Ochelata, making regular trips to tend the land and care for the cattle he loved. He enjoyed classical music, vintage radio broadcasts, and genealogy. His interest in family history led him and his beloved wife, Nanette, on a meaningful trip to England to visit the graves of his ancestors. He also found joy in small restoration projects, such as rescuing and refinishing an old rocking chair that others had discarded. He loved to read, to work with his hands, and, most of all, to love and care for his family.
Lawrence was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Jim and Lee Warren, and his wife, Nanette Peck.
He is survived by the mother of his children, Velta; his three children: Bill (Tammy) Peck, Rosemary (Dewayne) Chronister, and Bonnie (Eddie) Patterson; five grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren who will carry on his legacy of integrity, learning, and love.
A man of quiet strength, deep wisdom, and enduring love, Lawrence Peck lived a life of service to his family, to education, and to the land he cherished.
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