Harold Lee Springer

Harold Lee Springer

October 18, 1950 – August 15, 2026

Harold Lee Springer, 75, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, died August 15, 2026, leaving behind a family who loved him deeply, friends who knew they could count on him, and probably more books than anyone quite knows what to do with.

Harold was born October 18, 1950, in Ponca City, Oklahoma, to Leonard and Ethel Springer. He spent much of his childhood on the family's Cochran Homestead near Ponca City, later recognized as an Oklahoma Centennial Farm in 2005. Harold took over the property in the early 2000s and, alongside his father, transformed it into a retirement retreat that would remain an important part of his life.

The farm was also home to one of Harold's most enduring pursuits: beekeeping. For years, he tended his hives and produced Springer Farms honey, continuing well into his 70s.

Harold graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1972 with a degree in Agricultural Engineering before serving in the United States Army in Germany from 1972 to 1974. He returned home and began what would become 46 years of public service, working for the Oklahoma Water Resources Board from 1975 until his first retirement in 2000. Apparently one retirement wasn't enough. Harold continued his career with the Department of Agriculture until retiring for a second time in 2021.

Harold married Debbie (Tilley) Springer in 1985, and together they raised their daughters, Andrea and Leah. They built a family and shared their lives until Debbie's death in 1994. She remained an important part of Harold's story and the family they created together.

Harold and his current wife, Karen, first married in 1976 and, after life took them in different directions, later found their way back to one another. They married again in 2014 and in their later years shared a love of gardening—Karen tending her flowers and Harold growing overflowing beds of vegetables.

If something sparked Harold's interest, there was a good chance it would become a hobby. He never met a river he didn't like and was an avid fly fisherman. He loved 1970s rock, the great American West, firearms, baking, and learning how to do things himself. Above all, he was a voracious reader, moving easily from the Bible and westerns to fiction, nonfiction, history, and whatever subject captured his curiosity next.

After surviving cancer, Harold learned loom knitting and began making stocking caps for cancer patients. Soon, friends, family, and just about anyone he met were receiving them. It was quintessential Harold: learn something new and find a way to share it with someone else.

For all the interests Harold collected, nothing made him prouder than his family, and many of those interests became things they shared. He and Leah bonded over books, while he and Andrea

shared a love of the outdoors and disaster preparedness. His son-in-law, Josh, shared his interests in military history, firearms, reading, and a good Belgian beer. After Danaka moved to Oklahoma, she and her grandfather spent the last year growing especially close over trips to the science museum, collecting rocks, and baking together. To Tucker, he was Opa, and their time together was filled with silliness, laughter, and the occasional questionably noisy gift.

Harold is survived by his wife, Karen Springer; daughter Andrea Hanson and her husband, Josh, of Schönenberg-Kübelberg, Germany; daughter Leah Springer of Guthrie, Oklahoma; grandchildren Danaka Johnson of Norman, Oklahoma, and Tucker Hanson of Germany; and sister Sharon Springer of Pueblo, Colorado. He was preceded in death by his parents, Leonard and Ethel Springer, and his wife, Debbie (Tilley) Springer.

Harold approached life with curiosity, generosity, and the belief that there was always something else worth learning. He leaves behind a lifetime of stories worth telling.

Viewing will be held on Wednesday, August 19, 2026 from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., at Matthews Funeral Home Chapel, Edmond, Oklahoma.

A Funeral Service will be  Thursday, August 20, 2026 10:00 a.m., at Matthews Funeral Home Chapel, Edmond, Oklahoma.

A Graveside Service will be Thursday, August 20, 2026 2:00 p.m. at Longwood Cemetery, Ponca City, Oklahoma.