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October 27, 2009

Pixley family inducted into CPSF Hall of Fame

By Randy Cowling, Managing Editor

October 27, 2009 — Measuring up the life work of Claremore’s Pixley family brought laughter and tears to the capacity crowd Saturday night at Rogers State University’s Centennial Center.

Personal stories and reflections from individuals who have known them most if not all of their lives captured the journey of one of the city’s patriarchal families as they were inducted into the Claremore Public Schools Foundation Eighth Hall of Fame.

Speakers characterized how Claremore’s educational system was shaped from the time Warren and Patricia Pixley moved to Claremore and opened Pixley Lumber to when their five children progressed through Claremore schools.

The Pixleys — F. Warren and Patricia A., Paul A., Mary A. Pixley Warren, Ruth V. Pixley Stone, John D. Pixley and Joseph Pixley were inducted at the Benefit Roast and Toast Dinner.

Pat Reeder, former editor of the Daily Progress; Frank Robson of RCB Bank; and Father Paul Eichhoff of St. Cecilia Catholic Church shared their personal encounters with each of the family members.

“They exemplified the All-American family,” Eichhoff said.

Robson told of how Warren Pixley’s word could be trusted.

“A handshake from Warren Pixley was better than any contract,” he said.

Robson told of traveling to Kansas City with Warren, who was on the RCB Bank’s board, for a meeting. The two shared a room together and Pixley told Robson he was a snorer.

As Warren began to sleep, the snoring began.

“It kept going and going,” Robson said, “louder than any train I’d heard.”

Reeder said Pixley was her sounding board while serving as editor.

“Warren was a Bluedog Democrat until he got in business for himself,” Reeder said.

She said Warren was a contributing force in Claremore, helping to keep the land where Claremore Regional Hospital would be built and supporting a change to a city manager form of government for Claremore.

Each of the featured speakers told of how Patricia Pixley helped begin the Hospital Auxiliary at Claremore Regional Hospital and Meals on Wheels.

Robson shared how Ruth V. Pixley, who continues to teach at Westside Elementary, each year tells her new class how they were hand-picked to be in her class and that she knows Fred Flintstone. Robson said each child in her class is made to feel extra special.

Barry Farbro, of the foundation’s board, told of how he and John D. Pixley had played on a 17-0 baseball team.

U.S. District Judge Darnell C. Jones II, who was a classmate of the eldest Pixley child, Paul, told of how they had play sports together. Jones, who was installed as a federal judge last year, reflected on how he got a chip in one of his front teeth, when he, Paul and others took the Pixley’s boat out on Lake Oologah for a secret skiing adventure.

Jones also said Paul and several of his Claremore classmates traveled to Philadelphia when he was installed.

He allowed them to sit in the jury box while he conducted a bench trial, when all of the sudden a flash filled the room.

“There was Paul with a camera snapping a photo,” Jones said.

The attorneys were stunned and Jones told them, “It’s okay, they are from Claremore, Oklahoma.”

Jones didn’t mean it as a derogatory comment, as he always looks back at Claremore as “a slice of heaven.”

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