George Midgley, 55, of Poteau, Oklahoma, was born on December 23, 1968, to Clifford and Elaine (Sampson) Midgley on their seventh wedding anniversary. He passed from his earthly home on August 11, 2024, in Fort Smith, AR.
George met his wife, Paula, in 2001. Soon after they eloped on September 14, 2002, in Eureka Springs but Paula got cold feet and didn’t make it official. So exactly six months later they had a double wedding ceremony with their special friends Shelley and Harlen Johnson on March 14, 2003, both dates were very special to them.
George was a husband, father, son, brother, uncle, gumpa, cousin, friend, along with being a coach and teacher at Wister Public Schools for 24 years. He spent an enormous part of his life at the Wister ballfields. If he wasn’t there, you could find him in the woods hunting or he would be running around the world with his wife on their newest adventure. As a gumpa, he loved watching his grandchildren play sports or he would take them to his hunting lease in Clayton or to the family cabin on Wolf Mountain in Wister for bonfires and target practice.
George is survived by his wife Paula of the home; six children Chris Midgley and wife Amber, Koby Midgley and special friend Taylor Hamner, Cash Balentine and fiancé Makinzie Wood, Shelby Midgley, Candeeda Lawrence, and Clint Lawrence II and wife Jayme; eight grandchildren Gracie, Clint III, Wyatt, Staetyr, Statly, Stacey, Ally, and Carissa; parents Cliff “Chick” and Elaine Midgley, sister Sherry Wemmerus and husband Edward, brother Lance Midgley and wife Melissa, eight nieces and nephews Sherauna and husband Chris Croft, Tiffanee and husband Ross Hash, Devon and wife Erin Midgley, Shantay and husband Tyler Fite, Stephen and wife Montana Wemmerus, Nikita Wemmerus, Sam Wemmerus, and Shaylin Midgley; six special cousins who were like brothers Jason Sampson, John Sampson, Mitch Sampson, Matt Sanders, Glenn Sisson, and Russell Broussard; numerous great nieces and nephews along with many other relatives and countless friends.
George was preceded in death by his grandparents Charley & Dorothy Midgley and George O.C. & Mildred Sampson, sister Janice Couch, and son-in-law Cody Brown.
George will be giving life to another person through organ donorship. This shows what a caring man he was and always has been. An Honor Walk ceremony was held to enable his friends and loved ones to support him during his last breaths on this earth. As the surgical team transported him, they passed more than 260 family and friends that lined the halls of Mercy Hospital with the family following behind.
The Celebration of Life Services for George will be held at 4pm – Saturday, August 17, 2024, at Wister Basketball Gymnasium 201 Logan Street Wister, Oklahoma with Dan Carter officiating. The Family of George Midgley will meet and greet friends from 6pm – 8pm on Friday, August 16, 2024, also at the Wister Basketball Gymnasium 201 Logan Street Wister, Oklahoma.
Paula asks that all immediate family meet in her classroom at 3:30 pm on Saturday, before the service. We will not be going to the cemetery after the service, but we will be leaving the gym after the service to come back to Holt Funeral Home. Paula would like George to have a long procession back to Poteau. With that said, please feel free to line up and follow in the procession but once we are back to Poteau, you are free to pull out of the procession as we continue to the funeral home.
The Family of George Midgley has entrusted his arrangements to Holt Funeral and Cremation 522 Dewey Ave. Poteau, Oklahoma
918.721.0026
“Through Love, Serve One Another”