Sidney M. Groom Jr.
January 27, 1925 – February 22, 2015
Known for his zest of life, determination and fortitude, Sid M. Groom, Jr. passed into Heaven February 22, 2015. He lived his life to the fullest and made this last journey with that same strength of spirit that characterized his entire life. Sidney Marshall Groom, Jr. was born January 27, 1925 at St. Anthony's Hospital in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the only child of Caro Frances Clark Groom and Sidney M. Groom, Sr.
Sid moved with his parents to Bristow, Oklahoma in 1930, where he assisted in the family tire business and his great-grandparent's hardware store. In 1942, he graduated with honors from Bristow High School and attended Oklahoma Military Academy before beginning his service in the U.S. Army in 1943, serving at Camp Roberts, California, Syracuse University, New York and Camp Shelby Mississippi. His Unit, the 69th Infantry Division, was committed to the European Theater (WWII) in November 1944. The Unit engaged in combat from February to May 1945 and aided in the capture of the Remagen Bridge on the Rhine River before converging with the Russian Army on the Elbe River at Torgau, Germany. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal of Honor for his service.
In 1946, Sid returned from Germany and resumed his education at Oklahoma University, studying Physics and re-establishing Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity on campus. In 1948, Sid met the love of his life, Thadda Clare Hutchison, a freshman from Oklahoma City. Thadda and Sid were married at St. Luke's United Methodist Church on September 4, 1949. Sid had completed his undergraduate studies in Physics and entered Oklahoma University School of Law at that time.
After completing law school, Sid began his career as a landman for Standard Oil Company of California in Ardmore, Oklahoma. A short time later, Sid and Thadda relocated to Washington D. C. where Sid was a lawyer for the Solicitor's office with the U.S. Department of the Interior. In 1954, Sid became the first lawyer and director of the new Bureau of Land Management-Outer Continental Shelf leasing office in New Orleans, LA. It was there that Sid met George H. W. Bush, a young entrepreneur in the oil business. Two years later, Sid was offered a corporate job as a lawyer for Magnolia Petroleum Company (later Mobil Oil Corporation) , and he returned with his young family to his "home" state of Oklahoma.
Sid's career with Mobil Oil spanned 17 years and during that time he assisted in oral argument before the U. S. Supreme Court over mineral rights to the Arkansas Riverbed. In 1961, Sid and Thadda moved their young family (3 daughters and one son) to Edmond, Oklahoma. After 17 years, Sid left Mobil and entered private practice, opening a small law office in downtown Edmond. While practicing law, Sid became an adjunct professor of Business Law at U.C.O. (then Central State University) and continued teaching for 17 years. He retired from the practice of law at age 80.
During all these years, the family grew to include spouses, seven grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. Sid and Thadda traveled the world, it was their passion and they visited every continent and nearly every country in Europe, as well as most of the United States. In 2007, they traveled around the world on the Queen Mary 2, re-visiting many destinations and exploring a few new ones, in all, more than 72 trips all over the world.
Sid and Thadda have been active members of the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Edmond since 1961. With a deep commitment to community service and Christ, Sid was active in many benevolent outreach efforts and civic endeavors his entire life. He is survived by Thadda, his wife of 65 years, and their children Cynthia Kyle Groom Vogler-Henry of Edmond, OK; Susan and Robert O'Neal of Dallas, TX; Terra and James Conlin of Edmond, Oklahoma; and Marshall Thad Groom of Edmond, OK; in addition to seven grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.
A Celebration of Sid's life will be held on Friday, February 27, 2015, 1:00 p.m. at the First Christian Church of Edmond, following with a graveside service at Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Oklahoma Medical Research Fund (OMRF) 825 N.E. 13th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73104.
