Ronnie Leroy Medlock

Funeral service for Ronnie Medlock will be held 11:00 a.m. on Monday, January 8, 2024, at LIfechanger Church.  Dr. Ted Estes will officiate.  Burial will follow at Walker Cemetery in Welch at 3:00 p.m., visitation will be held on Sunday, January 7, 2024, at the MMS-Payne Funeral Home, from 1-6 p.m. with family greeting friends from1-3.

Ronnie Leroy Medlock, 76, passed away on Tuesday, January 2, 2024, at the age of 76.

Born on September 26, 1947, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, he was the son of Leroy and Ruth (Dilldine) Medlock. Ronnie was raised in Tulsa where he attended Union High School, graduating in 1966, and notably contributed to the state champion football team during his time there.

Following his graduation, Ronnie enlisted in the Navy, serving valiantly during the Vietnam War. He operated boats in the rivers of Vietnam and served aboard the aircraft carriers Bennington and Coral Sea. During a leave in 1968, he met Joyce Ward at the Will Rogers Round Up Club, and they soon began dating, eventually marrying on July 28, 1970.

After his discharge from the Navy, Ronnie returned to Claremore but faced a scarcity of work opportunities. He reenlisted in the U.S. Navy, leading to residencies in California and Pennsylvania before finally concluding his service in 1979. Returning to Claremore again, he pursued education through the G.I. Bill at Spartan School of Aeronautics. Subsequently, he joined Spartan as a lab technician and later became an instructor, utilizing his skills.

In 1990, Ronnie transitioned to teaching at Tulsa Technology Center's Airpark Campus, culminating in his retirement in 2009. Outside of his professional life, Ronnie cherished fishing, hunting, shooting guns, and was an avid fan of race cars and the Dallas Cowboys.

Ronnie was preceded in death by his parents, Leroy Medlock and Ruth Thompson, and his brother, Boogie Medlock.
He is survived by his loving wife, Joyce; sons, Ronnie Leroy Medlock Jr., and wife Michelle, and Greg Medlock; grandchildren, Blake, Brandon, Ryan, Julianne, Hunter, and Johnny Medlock; sisters Judy Medlock and Sandy White; brother Donald Medlock; brother-in-law, Rick Ward, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

View and sign Ronnie's online memorial at www.mmsfuneralhomes.com