John Dallas Willhoite, age 74, of Claremore passed away Wednesday, April 8, 2015 at St. John Medical Center in Tulsa after a courageous two-year battle with pancreatic cancer.
He was a Rogers County native, born Dec. 15, 1940 to the late Dallas Willhoite and the late Pauline Nichols Willhoite. He married Mary Leota Casey on Oct. 30, 1964 which was Trick-or-Treat night in Claremore that year.
He started his adult life as a cowboy, and later moved on to real estate. He was the owner of Willhoite Properties and was an avid crappie fisherman and boater. He loved spending time at Grand Lake and vacationing in Gulf Shores, Alabama with the family. He was a longtime member of the Claremore Rotary Club. As stated by one close family friend, “John was the type of person who was genuinely interested in you and was happy for you when positive things happened in your life.”
He is survived by his wife, Mary Leota Casey Willhoite; his son, John Todd
Willhoite and his wife Laura Marshall Willhoite; his daughter, Kristi Willhoite Burns and her husband Charlie Burns also of Claremore, and Akiak, Alaska; and six granddaughters: Elizabeth, Paige, Grace, and Claire Burns, and Sarah and Kelly Willhoite.
A memorial service for John will be held at 11 am, Monday, April 13 at the First
United Methodist Church in Claremore with Stephen Cagle officiating.
In lieu of flowers please consider making a contribution in John’s memory to The American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73123-1718.