Ross William “Bill” Chitwood
Ross William “Bill” Chitwood was born in Edmond, Oklahoma on September 29, 1933 and pass into God’s arms on November 22, 2023 at his home in Sulphur.
Bill was raised on a family farm in Edmond. He was very active in school activities including FFA, football, and wrestling, and in 1951 he graduated from Edmond High School where he was the first All State Football player at Edmond.
After high school, Bill was recruited to play football at Oklahoma A&M, but was not able to complete that dream due to a back injury. In 1954, Bill married Helen Tanner, the love of his life. He graduated with a bachelor’s in Animal Husbandry from Oklahoma A&M in 1955. While Bill was completing his degree, he returned home often and partnered with his farther, Ross Henderson Chitwood, to start the family dairy business, B&R Farms.
As a dairyman for over 50 years, he served in several leadership roles within the agricultural industry boards including Farm Bureau, COBA, and AMPI. In 1982, Bill and his family moved the dairy business from Edmond to their current farm in Sulphur in order for Lake Arcadia to be built.
Bill served his community as a member of the Edmond School Board for 15 years and the inaugural Francis Tuttle Vo-Tech Board. Bill was also an active member of the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Edmond and Sulphur by serving as an elder and teaching Sunday School for 45 years.
In addition to his dairy career, at the age of 60, Bill started a new venture in public speaking with his personal flair of “humorous motivation.” Bill traveled all over the USA speaking at many community meetings with what he called “Overall Wit and Wisdom.” After his speaking career, he started his home garden that only grew with each passing year. The whole family would pull together to harvest so Bill could take his bounty to the Sulphur and Ada Farmers Market.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Ross Henderson and Hattie Elam Gray Chitwood.
He is survived by his precious wife of 68 years, Helen Chitwood; sister, Ellen Chitwood; four children, Kathy (Kirk) Standridge, Laurie (Chris) Caldwell, Fred (Pam) Chitwood, and Bob (Tracey) Chitwood; 11 grandchildren, Hattie Standridge, Kadee and Brandi Bramlett, Victoria Boyles, Ross, Bryce and Tanner Chitwood, Jessica and Michaiah Chitwood, Nathan and Jordan Harp; and five great grandchildren, Laurie Boyles, Camden and Blayke Chitwood, and Graicee and Ryder Harp.
Special thanks goes to Christ Caldwell for his loving care for his “Buddy.”
A special thank you to Junia and Mike Milvain for their close friendship, encouragement, and support over the years.
Memorial services will be Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. held at First Christian Church of Sulphur, 403 W. Muskogee Ave., in Sulphur. Interment will be at Grace Lawn Cemetery in Edmond on December 30, 2023 at 10:30 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to First Christian Church of Sulphur Memorial Fund (PO Box 239, Sulphur, OK 73086) Arrangements are under the direction of DeArman Funeral Home in Sulphur.