Clyde Leroy Topping

Mr. Clyde Topping, 89, died Sunday, May 26, 2024, at his home in Shawnee, Oklahoma after a brief illness. The funeral Mass will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, June 1, 2024 at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Shawnee with burial at Calvary Cemetery. A wake will be held at Cooper Funeral Home at 7:00 p.m., on Friday, May 31, 2024 at Cooper Funeral Home Chapel. Pallbearers will be Dusty Topping, John Topping, Kevin Marlow, Thomas Schilling, David Topping, Alan Topping, and Corbin Marlow.

Mr. Topping was born in Oglesby, Oklahoma on January 1, 1935, the son of John Wesley and Grace M. (Eastman) Topping. He graduated from Ramona High School in 1953 and attended Northeastern State College and University of Oklahoma. Clyde proudly served his country as a Petty Officer First Class in the United States Navy. Clyde was married to Alene Taliaferro from 1961 to 1981 and they had two children, Frances and Wesley. After his service in the Navy, he rode a motorcycle from California to Oklahoma stopping off to ride in the Death Valley Race. Back in Oklahoma, he worked for City Service out of Bartlesville. He was transferred to New Mexico where Frances and Wesley were born. They moved to Oklahoma City in 1967 where he went to work for Western Electric (Lucent Technologies), then in 1969, he moved to Pink where he raised horses, Angus cattle, Duroc swine, and sheep. Clyde married Gail Curren June 10, 1983, and together they raised Kristen and Gerald Curren on their farm in Pink. Clyde retired as an electrician from Lucent Technologies in 1990. He moved to Shawnee in 2005.

Clyde supported 4-H and FFA youth for more than 32 years. In 1991, Clyde was named Oklahoma State 4-H Volunteer Leader of the Year in recognition of his service in Pottawatomie County, and he served on the state board for many years. He was named Pottawatomie County 4-H Volunteer of the Year in 2005. He had been involved in 4-H since he became a member in 1943, and he had a Victory Garden during World War II. He was instrumental in raising funds for the first agricultural education building in Tecumseh. He was named Honorary Chapter Farmer for Tecumseh, and he received the Honorary State FFA Degree in 1998.

Clyde was a dedicated Toastmaster, served in many local and district offices, and earned the highest level, Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM), in 1992.

He loved his church family at St. Benedict’s Catholic Church in Shawnee, and he served as a 4th Degree member of the Knights of Columbus.

He was an adjunct electrical instructor at Gordon Cooper Technology Center for many years. He and his family raised Limousin cattle, and he served as president of the Heart of Oklahoma Limousin Association.

He is survived by his loving wife Gail Curren Topping and his children Frances Topping and her husband Craig MacIntyre of Shawnee, Wesley Topping and his wife Tammy of Tecumseh, Kristen Curren Capistran of Houston, Texas, and Gerald Curren and his wife Nohad of Manassas Virginia. Also surviving him are his grandchildren, Sara Wegener and husband Matt, Tesslyn White and husband Kyle, Angus MacIntyre and wife Jennah, Samantha MacIntyre-Olson and husband Sam, Stormi Marlow and husband Kevin, Dusty Topping and wife Chevlyn, John Topping, Alexandra Schilling, Thomas Schilling and wife Tutie, and Dane Curren, and his 14 great-grandchildren.

Preceding him in death were his parents, ten siblings, Herb, Oliver, Walter (Fat), Charles, Don, Jack, John Dee, and Howard, Thelma Jones and Evelyn Cookerly, and great-grandson Lane Topping.                                                  

In lieu of flowers the family has designated Wounded Warriors, https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org and American Cancer Society in Oklahoma, https://www.cancer.org ›... › Support in Your State, as appropriate for memorials.