Garylee Walz

A Celebration of Life service for Garylee Walz, age 80, of Bison, Oklahoma, will be held at 10:00 a.m. Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home Chapel with burial following at Memorial Park Cemetery. The Reverend Gail Edmison will officiate the service. Arrangements are under the direction of Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home and Crematory. The family will receive friends from 6:00–7:00 p.m. Thursday, October 1, 2026, at the funeral home.

Garylee was born on June 1, 1946, in Pilot Grove, Missouri, and passed away on September 27, 2026, in Enid, Oklahoma.

Garylee graduated from Van Horn High School in Independence, Missouri, and earned two master’s degrees, one from Phillips University and one from Oklahoma State University. He married Patricia Swank on June 2, 1967, in Enid, Oklahoma. Garylee worked at both G.E. Failings and Speedstar before entering the insurance business and operating a Farmers Insurance Group office on Main Street in Waukomis, Oklahoma. A lifelong learner, he enjoyed several years teaching science at Covington-Douglas High School. He concluded his career with the Air Quality Division of the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality in Oklahoma City before retiring in 2015.

In his spare time, Garylee pursued a wide range of interests. He enjoyed woodworking and was an enthusiast of cars and firearms. He also took pleasure in collecting and trading coins and searching for fossils throughout Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. These hobbies reflected the curiosity and appreciation for learning that remained an important part of his life.

Garylee was preceded in death by his mother, Betty Walz; son-in-law Robert Hessman; and Patricia’s parents, “Jack” and Leota Swank. He is survived by his wife, Patricia; daughters Michelle Hessman and Melinda (Jason) Dupree; son Michael (Krista) Walz; and grandson Tyler Walz.

Condolences may be made, memories shared, and the service viewed online at www.ladusauevans.com.