|
| |
(Virgil) Lee Pekrul Jr. passed away at his residence in Chugiak, Alaska, on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014.
Born in Goltry, Okla., on March 23, 1948, to Virgil Sr. and Naomi, he was the eldest of four children.
He is survived by his wife, Robin, and daughter, Kimberlee of Chugiak, Alaska; his mother, Naomi Pekrul-Lynch, and brother, Fred of Enid, Okla.; his brother, Donald of Topeka, Kan.; and his sister, Nancy and her husband George Clinton of Whittier, Calif.; nieces and nephews, David Pekrul and wife Heather, Steven Pekrul, Elizabeth and her husband Scott Bure, Christina and her husband Omar El Jazouli, Amy and her husband Trae McConnell, Jeff Pekrul and his wife Elizabeth, and Greg Clinton will all miss their fun-loving uncle.
As a youth, Lee worked in the family grocery and meat locker business in Goltry, Okla.
The family later moved to Enid, where Lee graduated from Enid High School in 1966. Lee attended Panhandle State University, Phillips University, the U of O and N.W. State University, where his coursework included administrative business, sciences, computer sciences, as well as continuing education courses for the Oklahoma Board of Nursing Home Administrators.
From 1971 until 1973, he worked on the oncology wing at Presbyterian Medical Center in Denver, Colo., providing care for terminally ill patients. From 1973 until 1984, he again worked in the family business, Pekrul Manor Nursing Home in Enid.
Lee spent several years in Alaska in the 1980s, as a real estate sales associate. In 1985, he returned to Oklahoma to administrate the Dunaway Manor Nursing Home in Guymon, Okla. The lure of Alaska drew him back and he began work at Our Lady of Compassion Nursing Home.
After meeting Robin, Lee worked for five years as a special education teaching assistant at Chugiak High School. By 2014, Lee had obtained a real estate broker license in both Alaska and Washington State. He specialized in managing large apartment complexes.
A long-time member of the Lions' Club Organization, Lee also worked as a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the AMBUCS, the International Jaycees, the Toastmaster�s Club, the Elks Club, and the Board of Directors of the Panhandle Treatment Center, and the Guymon Airport.
He was a member of the Victory and United Methodist Churches. In his early Alaskan days he was president of the Single Support Network and most recently an active member of the Eagle River Lions� Club.
Lee enjoyed flying and owning airplanes in Oklahoma. He joined AOPA and the Civil Air Patrol in Alaska. He liked fishing for salmon in the Kenai River and halibut in Ninilchik, Alaska. He also liked traveling in his conversion van and staying in his travel trailer at Funny River, Alaska.
Carrying a guitar around in high school, Lee was always involved in music. His passion in life was bringing joy to others. He played seven musical instruments. He took pride in teaching countless people to chord the piano from guitar music.
He was on the Board of the Alaska Fine Arts Academy for several years. Known as Alaska�s Washboard Lee, he can be found on You Tube. Lee especially enjoyed the music festival in Seldovia, Alaska, and he was a founding member of the Beggar's Opera Company, Ungroup, and Dan Alley and the Earthquakes. Like Will Rogers, Lee never met a stranger he didn't like.
(Submitted by family)
This site may be freely linked, but not duplicated in any way without consent.
All rights reserved! Commercial use of material within this site is prohibited!
© 2000-2024 Oklahoma CemeteriesThe information on this site is provided free for the purpose of researching your genealogy. This material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, for your own research, as long as this message remains on all copied material. The information contained in this site may not be copied to any other site without written "snail-mail" permission. If you wish to have a copy of a donor's material, you must have their permission. All information found on these pages is under copyright of Oklahoma Cemeteries. This is to protect any and all information donated. The original submitter or source of the information will retain their copyright. Unless otherwise stated, any donated material is given to Oklahoma Cemeteries to make it available online. This material will always be available at no cost, it will always remain free to the researcher.