He is survived by:
Three sisters:
JoAnn Kirkes
Elene Schield and husband Frank
Patricia Stripling and husband Glenn
Cousin:
Teresa (Whitson) Lyndsey
His nephews:
Sammy Roberts and wife Nicole, Lamon Roberts and wife Sussee, John Mack Roberts and wife Donna, Benjamin Schield and wife Sarah, Jonathan Stripling and wife Katy, and James Moudy
His great-nieces and great-nephews:
Rylynd and Toby Stripling
Darian Joslin
Devon Roberts
Misty Roberts
DJ Roberts
Holle Williams
Ashley and Toni LeAnn Beasley
Willard, Weston, Wyatt, Dillon, Dustin, and Lucas Roberts
Dakota James
Special and Close Friends: Jason Keck, Ray Aldridge, Kim Hardcastle, and Justin Humphrey
Numerous other loved ones and a host of friends
He was preceded in death by his parents, Joe Cephas and Edith Roberts; his wife, Elizabeth Roberts; his brothers, Willard Roberts, Gene Carlin, and baby brother; three sisters Beatrice Welch, Jane Roberts, and Mary Elizabeth; two nephews Daniel Stripling and Shane Roberts; and two nieces, Elizabeth and Toni Roberts.
John was a longtime resident of the area and a member of the Albion Church of Christ. After graduating high school, he served 3 years in the United States Army where he served his country during the Vietnam era. John graduated from East Central University with a Bachelors degree and later in life he completed his Masters degree at East Central University.
He retired from the Oklahoma Department of Corrections as a Team Supervisor. John worked as an East Central University Police Officer. John always took his work seriously from mowing grass and hauling hay when he was a kid, driving a school bus, and hauling pulp wood while attending college. He took his career very serious as a Probation and Parole Officer and insisted that the people under him do their work correctly. John was respected by his co-workers.
John would help anyone; he was a gentle, kind, and a humble person. He was baptized at a young age and worshipped at the Church of Christ. John had a special fondness and admiration for his nephews Sammy Roberts, Jonathan and Daniel Stripling, and Benjamin Schield. His face would light up and he would praise his great nieces Devan Roberts, Rylynd Stripling, and great nephew, Toby Stripling.
John loved his horses and his dogs Prince Albert, Fancy, Chicken, and Bella. He referred to Bella as an “Angel Dog”. He wasn’t just a brother, he was a friend. John will be greatly missed by his family, who loved him.
Funeral service will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, November 15, 2025 at the Albion Church of Christ in Albion, Oklahoma with Frank McCawley, Jason Keck, Ray Aldridge, Kim Hardcastle, Justin Humphrey, and Frank Schield officiating. Burial will follow with military honors by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections Honor Guard in Albion Cemetery under the care of Dowden-Roberts Funeral Home of Heavener, Oklahoma.
Pallbearers will be: Jonathan Stripling, Sammy Roberts, Julie Roberts, Lamon Roberts, John Mark Roberts, and J.J. Humphrey.
Honorary Pallbearers will be: Benjamin Schield, James Moudy, and Devan Roberts.
Viewing will be from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., Friday at the funeral home.
To sign John’s online guestbook please visit www.dowdenrobertsfuneralhome.com.
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