Services for John Ricker “Rick” Everly, 76, will be held at 1:30 pm Wednesday, December 7, 2022 at Ferguson Funeral Home in Chickasha, Oklahoma with Andy Tilly officiating.
John Ricker Everly, Rick to everyone he knew, was born September 26, 1946 in Oklahoma City to Charles Elmer Everly and Dorothy Dean (Ricker) Everly. He died on November 26, 2022 in Edmond, Oklahoma.
Rick lived in Oklahoma City during his early childhood and moved to Chickasha, Oklahoma when he was 10 years old. He graduated from Chickasha High School in 1964 and was a proud Fightin’ Chick. Rick was attending Southwestern State College in Weatherford, Oklahoma when he joined the Oklahoma National Guard in May of 1966 with a commitment of six years of service. He married Linda Karen Loveless on July 26, 1967. After attending regular Army Basic Training at Ft. Bliss in El Paso, Texas, Rick spent the next two years in college while also attending two weekends per month in the Officers Candidate School (OCS). He graduated with a business degree from Southwestern State College in May of 1968 and OCS the following month, receiving his Army Officers Commission as a 2 nd Lieutenant in the 45 th Infantry Division, 158 th Field Artillery Battalion. He then attended a three-month Officers Branch Qualification Training Course in Artillery at Ft. Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma. Rick spent another four years of service retiring as a 1 st Lieutenant in May of 1972.
Rick was passionate about his career, OU Football, Maui Hawaii and most of all his family. He was hired by IBM in Oklahoma City in December of 1968 and was quickly promoted to first line manager in 1970 and transferred to St. Louis, Missouri. More promotions meant more cities: Flint, Michigan in 1973; Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1976 and Atlanta, Georgia in 1979. After a merge of the IBM copier division with Eastman Kodak, Rick was promoted back “home” to Oklahoma as District Manager in January of 1989 later retiring in 1999 with 31 years of service to IBM and Kodak combined. He later went on to work for Harris Interactive as vice president of Sales for two years and eventually went on to help his wife, Karen, in her real estate business.
Rick and Karen were married 55 years and lived in Edmond where he died quickly in his favorite chair watching his beloved Oklahoma Sooners in their final regular season game on TV. He was a dedicated husband, father and Papa to his four beautiful granddaughters whom he was incredibly proud of.
Rick was preceded in death by his parents. Survivors include his wife, Karen, of Edmond; brother Charles Everly of Ft. Worth, Texas; sister Ellen Stiles and husband Larry of Oklahoma City; daughter Jan Goodin and husband Ken of Oklahoma City; son Mark Everly and wife Debi of Little Elm, Texas; son David Everly and wife, Jennifer Beville of Oklahoma City; granddaughters Caroline Goodin and fiancé Chase Snodgrass of Oklahoma City; Natalie Goodin of Oklahoma City and Abigail and Olivia Everly of Little Elm, Texas.
Interment will be at Rose Hill Cemetery in Chickasha under the direction of Ferguson Funeral Home. Condolences to the family may be expressed at http://www.ferguson-funeralhome.com .