The Oklahoma Bar Journal February 2024

K enneth L. Meyer Jr. of Muskogee died Dec. 18. He was born Feb. 22, 1926, in Woodward. He served in the U.S. Army and Navy during World War II and was recalled by the Navy to serve during the Korean War. Mr. Meyer was initiated into Phi Delta Phi and graduated from the OU College of Law in 1950. He practiced law in Checotah and served as an assis tant county attorney of McIntosh County before associating with the First National Bank and Trust Co. of Muskogee, where he was an officer and director for nearly 30 years. He was also elected pres ident of the Trust Division of the Oklahoma Bankers Association. After retiring from banking, he joined the Phoenix Federal Savings and Loan Association to establish trust services for customers. After the company’s closure, he practiced law with Mike Norman until Judge Norman was elevated to the bench. Mr. Meyer served as past presi dent of the Muskogee County Bar Association and as treasurer of the association for 43 years. He held leadership positions in and was a member of various organizations, including the Muskogee Rotary Club, First United Methodist Church, Veterans of Foreign Wars and more. G eorge William Newton of Tulsa died Jan. 2. He was born Jan. 24, 1937, in Perry. He graduated from OU, where he was a walk-on member of the football team and an active member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1959 and his J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1962. Mr. Newton was a solo practitioner for 12 years before forming a legal practice

with John O’Connor, which evolved into Newton, O’Connor, Turner & Ketchum in Tulsa. In 2013, he received the Tulsa County Bar Association’s Golden Rule Award, recognizing him for mak ing outstanding contributions to the legal profession, having the highest of ideals and being willing to mentor those with less expe rience. Mr. Newton also served his community through numer ous charitable activities. He was a member of the Sunrise South Rotary Club of Tulsa and the Rotary Club of Southeast Tulsa, serving on many committees. He was a longtime member of the First United Methodist Church, where he regularly served as a Sunday school teacher. L eola C. Schumacher of Muskogee died May 31, 2023. She was born Nov. 14, 1932, in Oklahoma City. Ms. Schumacher graduated from OSU with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and from OU with a master’s degree in library science. She received her J.D. with honors from the OU College of Law in 1984 and dedicated her career to helping low-income Oklahomans with legal needs. When she retired, she was the managing attorney for a multi-county region in eastern Oklahoma for Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma. L ana Jeanne Tyree of Oklahoma City died Dec. 23. She was born Jan. 29, 1945, in Oklahoma City. Ms. Tyree graduated from OCU in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and received her J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1971. She practiced law for 50 years in the area of civil law. Memorial contributions may be made to

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Shriners Hospitals for Children, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or the Humane Society of the United States. L arry Gene Vickers Jr. of Vian died Dec. 4. He was born Nov. 9, 1972, in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He graduated from Northeastern State University in 1996 and received his J.D. from the TU College of Law in 2000. He worked in private practice for more than 20 years and served as the Vian city attor ney for 18 years. Mr. Vickers was the attorney for Webber Falls and surrounding communities as well. He became a judge in Fort Gibson, where he served for four years. Most recently, Mr. Vickers served as an assistant district attorney for Muskogee County. Additionally, he served as the vice president of the Muskogee County Bar Association and was a longtime member of the Landmark Missionary Baptist Church. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association. J oseph A. Walkowski Jr. of Salt Lake City died June 13, 2023. He was born Sept. 30, 1949, in Heidelberg, Germany. He received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Delaware in 1971 and his J.D. from the Georgetown Law School in 1975. He also earned his master’s degree in business administration with highest honors from OCU. Mr. Walkowski began working as a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office before going into private practice as a civil litigation attorney. He then became a patent attorney for Halliburton Energy Services and served as

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THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL