Arthur Wayne Salisbury

Wayne’s Obituary Arthur Wayne Salisbury, age 84, of Tulsa, Oklahoma joined our Heavenly Father on September 24, 2020. Wayne passed away due to various health complications at Saint Simeon’s Episcopalian Senior Living Center, in Tulsa, OK. Arthur Wayne Salisbury, also known as Wayne or AW, was a gregarious, ambitious, charitable, and loving son, brother, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather with a larger than life personality. Wayne was born during the Great Depression at his home in McAlester, OK, on October 13, 1935, to Arthur Lafayette Salisbury and Virginia Louise (Frocso) Salisbury. He grew up hearing stories about the Old Country from his Grandfather Joseph Frosco (Giuseppe Frasca) and Uncle Tony Frosco (Antonio Frasca) both from the Municipio di Canischio, the Piedmont Region, in the Province of Turin, Italy, and from Grandmother Virginia Louise (Ferro) Frosco from a nearby town due north called Cuorgne, all born in the late 1800s, and arriving in America near the turn of the 20th Century. In 1942, with a world war raging, his family moved to Oakland, CA, where his father worked in the shipyards. Wayne’s mother, homesick, eventually swayed his father to seek employment back in Oklahoma, near McAlester in the U.S. Naval Bomb Building Ammunition Depot in Savanna, OK. During WWII, Wayne’s brother Tony Layfette Salisbury was born. In high school, Wayne was editor of the school newspaper, The Buffalo, and an associate editor of the yearbook, The Dancing Rabbit, with thoughts of someday becoming a writer or a teacher. At McAlester High School, Wayne was under the tutelage of George Nigh, the founder of a student spirit group. Mr. Nigh soon realized Wayne’s artistic abilities and asked him to make placards for various student organizations. Getting to know Mr. Nigh, Wayne volunteered to work on George’s first campaign for the state house of Oklahoma. Listening to entertaining orations, Wayne learned the art of delivering a speech, which he used as a member of the local chapter of De Molay and throughout his life. Wayne graduated from McAlester High School in 1954 as a member of the National Honor Society. He was accepted to enroll in the pre-pharmacy program with a scholarship on the campus of Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford and joined Tau Kappa Epsilon National Social Fraternity and Phi Delta Chi Pharmacy Fraternity. At Southwestern, he met his future wife, Joi Dell (Joidy) Diel, born on December 12, 1937, in Anadarko, OK. In 1942, her family had also moved to California and then back to Thomas, OK, at the end of the war. Joidy, a native of Western Oklahoma, was soon to take the heart of Wayne, a native of Eastern, Oklahoma. In 1958, Wayne graduated from Southwestern Oklahoma State University with a bachelor's degree in pharmacy. On July 6, 1958, Wayne and Joidy were married in Clinton, OK, at the First Christian Church. Joidy’s parents were Marion A. and Virginia C. (Lorenz) Diel. Wayne stated that Marion was the most intelligent man he had ever met and was a guiding tower of strength in his life. Wayne‘s professional career began with the Skillern’s Drug chain, in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, followed by a year of managing an independent clinical pharmacy in Levelland, Texas. In 1961, the couple moved to Clinton, Oklahoma, where Wayne opened Salisbury Prescription Pharmacy, on Main Street, in Clinton and was honored to serve his community and patrons for thirty-six years. The Salisburys became parents only a few years later with the birth of an infant boy in Clinton, on November 27, 1963. In Wayne’s memoir, TAKE THOU, he wrote about the adoption of their son, Harold (Hal) Wayne Salisbury, “as nothing short of a miracle, the first of two miracles within the span of a few months. Then something happened when we crossed the threshold of our house, it dawned on me that he was our son. I became emotional as I felt the deepest love and attachment for him. There must be a spirit inside a human being that quickly fills us with this familial love. Suddenly he had become ours, and he was the most beautiful baby, the most intelligent, the most perfect.” By Christmas, Joidy was pregnant and this time she carried the child, a girl, Kristin Joi Salisbury, born on August 26, 1964. While the Lord provided miracles for the Salisburys, Wayne continued to work six and seven days a week to provide for his family and lay the financial and spiritual foundation for generations to come. Wayne purposely set aside time with Joidy, Hal, and Kristy. He made sure the family had dogs, cats, and horses to ride, part of the Western Oklahoma tradition, helped the children participate in Future Farmers of America, the Clinton Round-Up Club, sponsored their little league team (The Salisbury Pills), and purchased motorcycles, a pastime he enjoyed with his children. He played a little golf, took lessons to become a pilot while joining the Oklahoma Wing of the Civil Air Patrol and enjoyed skeet shooting, quail hunting and fishing. He joined the Clinton Kiwanis Club and bought and managed a few rental properties. Wayne loved going to local auctions and meeting and conversing with farmers and townspeople. Eventually, Wayne and Joidy bought a farm as an investment and Wayne began to play weekend farmer and cowboy when he could find the time. Around town he quickly became the ORIGINAL DRUGSTORE COWBOY, which was even painted onto his cattle trailer. Wayne and Joidy were always active in helping youth and volunteered numerous times as chaperones for European trips sponsored by their dear friends Bill and Ruth Eskew, through Clinton High School. A strong passion for travel was quickly developed, which led them to travel to the Middle East and Asia. The couple enjoyed numerous excursions throughout many European countries and historic destinations with their close friends, Judy and John Jordan. Wayne was a true public servant throughout his life. Twice he served as chairman of District 7 for the Oklahoma Pharmaceutical Association; was a member of the American Pharmaceutical Association; and by invitation only was accepted as a full fellow in the prestigious American College of Apothecaries; Clinton District lay leader of 52 churches of the United Methodist Church; elected president of the Clinton Chamber of Commerce and in charge of Clinton’s 75th Anniversary Celebration Gala. Wayne was a lifelong and active member of the Democratic Party and participated in a number of political campaigns. Originally appointed to the Oklahoma Board of Health by then Governor George Nigh, who was also a friend, in 1975 he was appointed to the Board of Regents of the Six Regional Universities of Oklahoma, and was on the board for fifteen years, serving twice as chairman. Wayne also gave much of his time serving on various committees for the Methodist Church, both locally and nationally. In the early 1980s, Hal and Kristin attended university, Hal at OU and Kristin at SWOSU. Hal graduated with a degree in finance and earned his law degree from TU while Kristin graduated with a degree in elementary education and earned her master’s degree from Central State University at Edmond. On October 30, 1997, Wayne sold Salisbury Prescription Pharmacy in Clinton and soon he and Joidy moved to Edmond, OK, for three years, before settling in Tulsa, OK. After moving to Tulsa, Wayne and Joidy transferred to Faith UMC. Wayne became a volunteer at Restore Hope, a mission to supply food and support to needy families in Tulsa County. In 2012, Wayne became the representative of the Circle of Care for Faith United Methodist Church and beginning in 2013, he began teaching the Faith Builders Sunday school class. During his retirement Wayne enjoyed time with friends and family, painting, reading and attending cultural programs. A ferocious reader, he left behind a collection of meaningful books with an emphasis on history from his personal library. After the illness and death of his beloved wife, Joidy, Wayne continued to live in Tulsa, Oklahoma, surrounded by his family and loved ones. Wayne moved to Legends Green Tree, a retirement center in March of 2019, located in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, and thoroughly enjoyed meeting new people, drawing caricatures of the residents, and occasionally delivering a sermon. He was very appreciative of his time there and his surrogate family, which embraced him during his five and half months of quarantine due to COVID-19. Wayne lived his final years as a devoted member of the Oklahoma United Methodist Church and believed deeply in his heart that all Christians should join a church stating: “The church is the body of Christ and I believe it is imperative to be a member. It is there that the sacrament of communion is performed, which is vital to the believer.” Wayne always insisted that he was watched over and blessed by God. He had also been blessed with a wonderful wife, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Wayne is eternally grateful to his mother for leading both her sons to become Christian men with belief in God. Wayne is preceded in death by his wife, Joi Dell (Joidy) Salisbury, and by his parents Art and Virginia Salisbury. He is survived by his son, Harold (Hal) Wayne Salisbury, of Tulsa, OK, married to Tracy Ann (Lorton) Salisbury and their children Morgan, Halle and Laurel. His daughter, Kristin Joi Arnold of Cleveland, OK, married to James Michael Arnold and their children Andrew Wayne Dougherty, married to Jennifer (Reichert) Dougherty, of the United Kingdom, and their child, Killian. Addison (Addie) Dell Dougherty, of Tulsa, OK and her child Averie and Jared Arnold, of Moore, OK. He is also survived by his brother, Tony Lafayette Salisbury and his wife Margret Salisbury, of Madison, Wisconsin, their children, Eric Salisbury, of Madison, Wisconsin and his wife Emma Salisbury, their children Leif and Rory and Peter Salisbury, of Denton, Texas and his wife, Erin Salisbury, along with their child, Christopher. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to any of the following two endowed scholarships or the foundation: the Arthur W and Joi D Salisbury Scholarship at Southwestern Oklahoma State University at 100 Campus Drive, Weatherford, Oklahoma, 73096-3098, (580) 774-3267. The contact person is Garrett King, executive director for the foundation at garrettking@swosu.edu ; the Arthur W and Joi D Salisbury Scholarship at Oklahoma City University at 2501 North Blackwelder, Oklahoma City, OK, 73106. The contact person is the senior director of finances, (405) 208-5240; Arthur W and Joi D Salisbury’s Foundation for the Circle of Care, United Methodist Boys Ranch, PO Box 999, Gore, OK, 74435-0999. The contact person is Edith Tillson, director of community services, (405) 530-2078. Viewing will be held at Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home, in Clinton, Oklahoma, on Saturday, September 26, 2020, from noon to 8:00 PM and Sunday, September 27, 2020, from 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Services will be held on Monday, September 28, at 1:00 PM at the First United Methodist Church, located at 1001 Frisco Avenue, Clinton, Oklahoma 73601 This Service will also be streamed live on Facebook. Please search for Clinton First United Methodist Church at 1:00 PM for a livestream. Burial will be at the Lorenz Cemetery in Blaine County, seven and one half miles to the east of Hitchcock, on East Road 0720, Wells Township, on a rural road between Hitchcock and Loyal, Oklahoma.