Bill Tipton

Billy Lee Tipton, age 87, of Choctaw, Oklahoma passed away on Wednesday, October 28, 2020. Bill was born on September 25, 1933 in Non, Oklahoma to Cyrus Allen Tipton and Minnie Minerva (Bain) Tipton. He graduated from Gerty High School in 1951. Bill received a college scholarship to play basketball and baseball at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Education.

Bill played baseball his freshman year of college and at the end of that year signed a contract with the New York Yankees organization to play professional baseball as a pitcher. Bill went on to play for the Yankees organization during the summer months and would return to East Central to play basketball up until the time of his graduation in 1955.

After suffering a back injury and realizing that he may never fulfill his dream of playing baseball at the major league level, he decided to apply the knowledge he had acquired and become a baseball coach. The rest is history.

It was during Bill’s time at East Central University that he met the love of his life. He glanced across the cafeteria and saw a beautiful, tall, dark headed woman named Rowena Fritzler. On December 30, 1954, they married and began a wonderful life together where they shared a mutual love for sports and horses. Rowena was always his #1 fan. Bill and Rowena would have celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary in December.

In 1956, Bill received “a letter from Uncle Sam” stating he had been selected to serve his country in the military service. Bill served for two years and was honorably discharged in 1958.

Bill’s first job following his military service was at Calvin High School where he accepted the position of Head Baseball and Basketball coach as well as teaching History and English. This job was the beginning of a 32-year coaching career which ultimately led him to Carl Albert High School in Midwest City where he retired in 1986.

Bill was on staff at Bo Belcher’s Chandler Baseball Camp in Chandler, Oklahoma from 1960-1969. Bill’s family often joined him on the weekends, and they have many special memories of those times.

In between coaching baseball, Bill and his family also found time to show and train quarter horses through The Oklahoma Quarter Horse Association. One of their favorite areas of training horses was cutting. The Tipton family traveled with their horses competing on the local, state and national levels. Bill instilled a love for horses in each of his children early in their lives.

Bill also bred and trained bird dogs and quail hunting quickly became a part of the Tipton family. After retiring from teaching and coaching, Bill continued to train bird dogs and he held an annual Field Trial in October of each year. This love for hunting has been passed down to a few of his grandsons.

Bill received one of his highest honors in 2008 when he became a member of The Oklahoma Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame. During his coaching career, Bill was named Conference Coach of the Year 12 times, The Daily Oklahoman Coach of the Year two times, Big All City Coach of the Year two times, Oklahoma Journal Coach of the Year two times, District 8 Coach of the Year one time, and South All State Coach of the Year one time.

Bill, known to his grandchildren and great grandchildren as “BaBa” and also known by many as “Coach Tipton” was preceded in death by his beautiful wife, Rowena Tipton, his parents, three brothers and one sister.

He is survived by his son, Rick Tipton and wife Karen Tipton of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida; his daughter, Tami Titus and her husband, Martin Titus, of Cherry Log, Georgia; and his daughter, Patti Herren and husband, Mike Herren, of Midwest City, Oklahoma. Also, grandsons, Ian Braun of San Diego, California, Jared Titus of Forest Park, Illinois, Josh Herren and his wife, Megan, of Harrah, Oklahoma, Kaleb Herren and his wife, Kylie, of Midland, Texas, and Daniel Herren and his wife, Allison, of Choctaw, Oklahoma; great-grandchildren Hudson Herren, Harper Herren and Holden Herren of Harrah, Oklahoma, Klayton Herren and Kolbie Lyn Herren of Midland, Texas, Zella Mae Herren and Zane Herren of Choctaw, Oklahoma.

The family would like to thank the staff at Arbor House Midwest City for their love and care of their parents, Bill and Rowena, when they moved into Assisted Living after Rowena suffered a stroke. Also, an extra special thanks to Arbor House Memory Care staff who went above and beyond to care for Bill and give him extra love and attention when he was moved into their unit shortly after Rowena passed. This was a very difficult time for him as he struggled with dementia.

A dual Memorial Service/Celebration of Life for Bill and his wife, Rowena, who passed away on April 13, 2020, will be held on Saturday, November 21 ^st , at 1:00 pm at Choctaw [Oklahoma] Church of the Nazarene.