Dr. Richard W. “Dick” Poole
December 4, 1927 ~ March 14, 2019
Dr. Richard W. “Dick” Poole, age 91, died March 14, 2019. Services will be at 10:00 am on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at the Brill Chapel of Epworth Villa in Oklahoma City. Interment will follow at Fairlawn Cemetery in Stillwater. In his honor, please wear “the world’s brightest orange”. If not, black is appropriate. Strode Funeral Home and Cremation is in charge of arrangements.
Born December 4, 1927, to William and Lois (Spicer) Poole in Oklahoma City, OK, he graduated from Classen High in 1946 and then enlisted in the Army. After basic training, he attended Officer Candidate School and was Commissioned a 2nd Lt. Field Artillery at age 18. Dick Served with the 1st Cavalry Division in Japan and retired from the Army Reserve as a Lt. Col in 1987.
Dick married Lynn Mehr in July, 1950. After graduating from Oklahoma University in 1952, he worked for OG&E and the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce. On completing a PhD in Economics in 1960, he began a 33-year career at Oklahoma State University serving as professor, Dean of the College of Business, and as Vice President. Although he retired in 1993, he maintained an office on campus and worked on a variety of OSU projects until 2009. Dick and Lynn moved to Epworth Villa in Oklahoma City in 2004.
He was a consultant to the Administrator of NASA, U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Government Research, the National Governors’ Conference, the Manned Spacecraft Center, and many business organizations. Dick was active in the Presbyterian Church serving as deacon, elder, and chairman of the trustees.
He received the highest honor OSU bestows: The Henry G. Bennett Award. In recognition of his service to OSU and Oklahoma, business leaders and friends endowed the “Richard W. Poole Professorship for Excellence” in the Spears School of Business.
Dick had a 50-year love affair with the beautiful San Juan mountains in S.W. Colorado where he had a summer home in Ouray. He was an avid hiker and jeeper.
Dick is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Lynn.
He is survived by his son, Rick and his wife, Linda Poole; daughter, Laura Ross; son, Mark Poole; four grandchildren; one step-grandson and six great grandchildren.
Memorial gifts may be made to the OSU Foundation for the “Richard W. Poole Professorship, “P.O., Box 1749, Stillwater, OK 74076-1749; or to Epworth Villa for the “Benevolent Fund” 14901 N Penn, Oklahoma City, OK 7334 or the Ouray Historical Society, 420 Sixth Ave, Ouray, CO 81427.
Condolences may be sent to the family and an online obituary viewed by visiting www.strodefh.com.
