Royce Willingham

Funeral Services for Royce Willingham, 76, Clinton resident, will be held 1:00 P.M., Thursday, July 2, 2015 in the First Christian Church officiated by his son, Dr. Randy Willingham, Jeff McDowell and Doyle Kinney. Burial will conclude in the Clinton Cemetery under the direction of the Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home. Royce Dean Willingham was born November 28, 1939 to Leroy and Lena Willingham in Hydro, OK and passed away Saturday, June 27, 2015 in the Corn Heritage Village in Weatherford, OK. Royce was raised in Clinton and attended Clinton High School. He soon joined the U.S. Army and set off to see the world and then was stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He met the love of his life, Carrie Ellen Johnson, and they married on January 31, 1959. They were married 56 years and raised three children. He loved fishing, camping, traveling, and playing cards and other games with family and friends. He lived in Clinton close to his family whom he loved deeply. He was affectionately called papaw by his grandchildren. He loved having a great time with his many sisters-in-law and their husband's. He was a carpenter who seemed to be able to build or fix just about anything. However, he had no hesitation about expressing his unmistakable dislike for plumbing or anything to do with electricity. He passed his giftedness for carpentry onto his son Ricky, his nephew John Kinsey, Dan Willingham, and others. He was fiercely protective of his wife, children, and extended family. Others described experiencing him as a gentleman, sweet, charming, mischievous and funny, He worked as a production manager for the Lin Company, worked in the maintenance department at Bar-S, and did a lot of self-employed work utilizing his carpentry skills, he was a member of the First Christian Church in Clinton, OK. He was preceded in Death by his parents, Leroy and Lena Willingham, and his sister, June Bates. Those left to cherish his memory are his wife, Carrie Ellen Willingham, a brother, Stan and wife, Paula of Clinton; sons, Randy and wife Eva, of Searcy, Arkansas; Ricky and wife, Sabrina, of Bessie; and a daughter Robin Hulin and husband, Rodney, of Clinton; granddaughters, Danielle Hulin of Weatherford, Misti Ellis of Clinton; grandsons, Nate Willingham of Little Rock, AR, Dan Willingham and wife Hannah of Searcy, AR, Mason Hulin of Norman, and Justin Tucker, Ruskin, FL. Two great grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.