Official Obituary of
Thomas Eugene Yarbrough
November 10, 1959 ~ April 24, 2025 (age 65) 65 Years Old
Thomas Yarbrough Obituary
Thomas "Tom" Eugene Yarbrough was born on November 10, 1959 in Denton, TX to M. Thomas Yarbrough and Eugenia (Smart) Childress. Tom passed away on Thursday morning, April 24, 2025 at his home in Meeker after a short but courageous battle with esophageal cancer.
Tom moved to Shawnee, OK in 1969 and attended Will Rogers Elementary School and graduated from Shawnee High School with the class of 1978. In 1979, he married Mary Johnson and started a family, while attending Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee. He graduated OBU in 1982 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In over eight years the couple had three sons, Jason, Christopher, and Zachary. Tom worked in the finance business, but the last 23 years he was an optician for Robinson Eye Institute in Shawnee until his retirement in 2024.
Tom enjoyed spending time with his family at the lake during the summer, and hunting and camping at deer camp in the fall season. Each spring and fall, he participated in pre-1840's living history events at Wollaroc in Bartlesville, OK with his wife, 3 sons, and grandchildren, his Dad and his Uncle Gene. He enjoyed woodworking with knife-making and had recently taken up candle making. He was a longtime member of St. Benedict Catholic Church of Shawnee.
He is preceded in death by his grandparents John and Fay Smart, Bessie Riney, Harvey Eugene Yarbrough; aunts and uncles, Kenneth and Betty Smart, James and Bonnie Smart, David and Janice Smart, and Betty Harris; stepfather, Raymond Childress; father-in-law, Paul Johnson; brothers-in-law, Johnny Johnson, Louie "Gene" Johnson; and sister-in-law, Cindy Johnson Allen.
He is survived by his father, Tom Yarbrough and wife Trisha of Claremore, OK; his mother, Eugenia Childress of Belvidere, New Jersey; his wife, Mary of the home in Meeker; three sons, Jason Yarbrough and wife Brandy of Meeker, Christopher Yarbrough and wife Samantha of Shawnee, OK, and Zachary Yarbrough and wife Nicole, of Porter, OK; sisters, Terri McAdoo of Belvidere, NJ, Jeanie Bake and partner Cindy Gormley of Biglerville, PA; brother, John Yarbrough and wife Cindy of Mounds, OK; a mother-in-law, Norma Johnson of Shawnee, OK; grandchildren, Jacob Yarbrough, Jaren Herron, Mia Yarbrough of Shawnee, OK, Ryker Myers and Blayke Yarbrough of Porter, OK; an uncle, Harvey Eugene Yarbrough of Oklahoma City, OK; a He is also survived by sisters-in-law, Elizabeth Lofties and husband Jerry of Yukon, OK; and Kathryn Lovelace and husband Chuck of Tulsa, OK; brothers-in-law, Jamie Johnson of Houston, TX, Mark Johnson and wife Julie of Shawnee, OK, Michael Johnson and wife Karen of Prague, OK, and Tracy Johnson of Shawnee, OK.; several cousins and numerous nieces and nephews; other extended family and many good friends.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the American Cancer Society or The Esophageal Cancer Awareness organization or ECAN (Esophageal Cancer Action Network). The family would like to thank all the doctors and nurses at Shawnee Cancer Center and to the staff at Frontier Hospice for their exceptional and thoughtful care of Tom.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, May 2, 2025 at 2:00pm at Taproot Church, 22 East Dunlop Street, Shawnee, OK with Dr. Keith Ward officiating.
A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, May 3 at 10:00am at St. Benedict Catholic Church, located at 632 N Kickapoo in Shawnee, OK. Interment of cremated remains will follow the funeral mass immediately at Calvary Cemetery of Shawnee. All services are under the direction of McElyea & Owens Funeral Group of Shawnee.
Tom moved to Shawnee, OK in 1969 and attended Will Rogers Elementary School and graduated from Shawnee High School with the class of 1978. In 1979, he married Mary Johnson and started a family, while attending Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee. He graduated OBU in 1982 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In over eight years the couple had three sons, Jason, Christopher, and Zachary. Tom worked in the finance business, but the last 23 years he was an optician for Robinson Eye Institute in Shawnee until his retirement in 2024.
Tom enjoyed spending time with his family at the lake during the summer, and hunting and camping at deer camp in the fall season. Each spring and fall, he participated in pre-1840's living history events at Wollaroc in Bartlesville, OK with his wife, 3 sons, and grandchildren, his Dad and his Uncle Gene. He enjoyed woodworking with knife-making and had recently taken up candle making. He was a longtime member of St. Benedict Catholic Church of Shawnee.
He is preceded in death by his grandparents John and Fay Smart, Bessie Riney, Harvey Eugene Yarbrough; aunts and uncles, Kenneth and Betty Smart, James and Bonnie Smart, David and Janice Smart, and Betty Harris; stepfather, Raymond Childress; father-in-law, Paul Johnson; brothers-in-law, Johnny Johnson, Louie "Gene" Johnson; and sister-in-law, Cindy Johnson Allen.
He is survived by his father, Tom Yarbrough and wife Trisha of Claremore, OK; his mother, Eugenia Childress of Belvidere, New Jersey; his wife, Mary of the home in Meeker; three sons, Jason Yarbrough and wife Brandy of Meeker, Christopher Yarbrough and wife Samantha of Shawnee, OK, and Zachary Yarbrough and wife Nicole, of Porter, OK; sisters, Terri McAdoo of Belvidere, NJ, Jeanie Bake and partner Cindy Gormley of Biglerville, PA; brother, John Yarbrough and wife Cindy of Mounds, OK; a mother-in-law, Norma Johnson of Shawnee, OK; grandchildren, Jacob Yarbrough, Jaren Herron, Mia Yarbrough of Shawnee, OK, Ryker Myers and Blayke Yarbrough of Porter, OK; an uncle, Harvey Eugene Yarbrough of Oklahoma City, OK; a He is also survived by sisters-in-law, Elizabeth Lofties and husband Jerry of Yukon, OK; and Kathryn Lovelace and husband Chuck of Tulsa, OK; brothers-in-law, Jamie Johnson of Houston, TX, Mark Johnson and wife Julie of Shawnee, OK, Michael Johnson and wife Karen of Prague, OK, and Tracy Johnson of Shawnee, OK.; several cousins and numerous nieces and nephews; other extended family and many good friends.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the American Cancer Society or The Esophageal Cancer Awareness organization or ECAN (Esophageal Cancer Action Network). The family would like to thank all the doctors and nurses at Shawnee Cancer Center and to the staff at Frontier Hospice for their exceptional and thoughtful care of Tom.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, May 2, 2025 at 2:00pm at Taproot Church, 22 East Dunlop Street, Shawnee, OK with Dr. Keith Ward officiating.
A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, May 3 at 10:00am at St. Benedict Catholic Church, located at 632 N Kickapoo in Shawnee, OK. Interment of cremated remains will follow the funeral mass immediately at Calvary Cemetery of Shawnee. All services are under the direction of McElyea & Owens Funeral Group of Shawnee.
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