Howard Doyle Leftwich
1932 – 2020
Howard Doyle Leftwich was born January 29, 1932, to Rush & Nellie Leftwich in Burden, Kansas, and passed away Monday, April 13, 2020. The youngest of eight boys and one girl, he was born and raised on a farm with no electricity or plumbing. His parents had migrated from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia in 1906.
At the age of 17, he graduated from Burden High School as president of his class of 10 students. He was a high school athlete, playing basketball, baseball, and participating on the track team. The influence of a large family and the circumstances of WWII shaped much of his future.
Immediately following high school graduation, he moved to Wichita, Kansas, and got a job as a sheet metal fabricator's helper at Boeing, earning $1 per hour. After working there for several months, his supervisor asked to see his birth certificate. Howard had no choice but to comply; and, since he was only 17, was dismissed that same day. However, the supervisor noted in his file that he would be eligible for re-hire when he turned 18. It was then that Howard made the "momentous decision" (his words) to go to college.
Howard entered Wichita University in the fall of 1949 and graduated with a degree in accounting in January 1953. At the age of 21, he passed the CPA exam. In August of 1950, he was introduced to Marilyn Evans on a blind date set up by mutual friends, and they were married January 24,1952. After his college graduation, they moved to Kansas City, Kansas, where he was employed by a national CPA firm, Ernst & Ernst. Their two children, Donald and Linda, were born in 1953 and 1957.
After nine years in public accounting, where he became assistant manager at the age of 26, he took the position of Controller for Cook Paint and Varnish Co., one of the largest companies in Kansas City. During his five years there, he oversaw the conversion of the accounting system to EDP.
Around the age of 35, Howard began to develop an interest in going back to school and becoming a teacher at the college level. In 1967, the president of Oklahoma Christian College recruited him and Marilyn to move their family to Edmond where Howard would teach at this young, small college in Oklahoma City. By 1970, he had completed his Doctor of Business Administration degree at Oklahoma University and began teaching a full load at Oklahoma Christian. He initiated the accounting major at OC and graduated the first accounting students in 1972. Another of his major interests and accomplishments was beginning an economics course called the Free Enterprise System. He wrote the textbook for this course, and it became a general education course for all majors. In 1975 he was named Chairman of the School of Business at OC, a role he held until stepping down in 1993. He continued to teach business courses until retiring in 1999. Beloved among his students, he was honored with both the Gaylord Chair of Distinguished Teaching Award and Merrick Award. During his years at OC, he also enjoyed adjunct teaching at OU and UCO. In 2010 he was named an honorary alumnus of Oklahoma Christian. When asked what pleased him most about his teaching career, he quickly pointed to his former students. "That would be easy," he said, "it is the stature that so many of our graduates have in the business world today."
Howard was a faithful member of the Memorial Road Church of Christ, serving as an elder from 1972 to 2019, when he resigned due to failing health. He loved his family immensely and was the absolute best husband, dad, father-in-law, grandpa, and great-grandpa anyone could ever ask for or imagine.
Howard was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers Arthur, Marion, Ralph, Robert, Richard, Joe, and Tom; his sister Norma; and a great-grandson Rush Leftwich. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Marilyn; children Don (Janie) Leftwich and Linda (Bob) Wheeler; grandchildren Robbie (Hannah) Leftwich, Brandon Wheeler, Kimberly (Ryan) Harper, Bryan (Maggie) Leftwich, and Kristen (Seanhenry) Van Dyke; and great-granddaughters Hazel & Rosemary Leftwich and Ella & Reese Harper.
Informal visitation will be Wednesday, April 15, 1-8 p.m., at Matthews Funeral Home in Edmond. Private family graveside service will be Thursday, April 16. A public memorial service will be scheduled as soon as possible at Memorial Road Church of Christ in Oklahoma City.