IN TRIBUTE AND REMEMBRANCE

ERROL K. CHONEY 1939-2008

LAWTON CONSTITUTION - NOVEMBER 29, 2008

ERROL K. CHONEY

Funeral for Errol K. Choney, 69, Lawton, will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Cameron Baptist Church with the Rev. Bob Jones, pastor, officiating.

Mr. Choney died Thursday, Nov. 27, 2008.

A prayer service will be at 7 p.m. Sunday at Comanche Nation Funeral Home. Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens.

He was born Aug. 26, 1939, in Lawton, to Whitt and Grace Tahbonemah Choney.

He was a descendent of Quanah Parker, last chief of the Comanches, as well as Sgt. I-See-O, last Indian scout at Fort Sill. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1961 until 1966, earning the rank of Airman 2nd Class. He was a Vietnam veteran. He was stationed at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas; Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, Texas; and Tinker AFB, Oklahoma City. His overseas assignments were with the 1983rd Communications Squadron at Thule AFB Greenland and with the 1945th Communications Squadron at Rhien Mein AFB Germany. He spent 2½ years overseas. He was a communications center specialist and worked as a teletype operator. He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal and qualified with the M1 carbine. After he was discharged from the Air Force, he worked 31 years with civil service at Fort Sill as a computer systems analyst. Following his retirement from federal service, he was employed by the Comanche Nation, establishing the Comanche Tax Commission as its first director, then as the Tribal Employment Rights Officer (TERO). His also worked Comanche Nation Fair.

Survivors include two sons and daughters-in-law: Mark and April Choney and Chris and Carrie, all of Ponca City; two daughters and sons-in-law: Elizabeth and Terry Shafer, Broken Arrow, and Ranay and Robert Guilfoyle, Lawton; two sisters and a brother-in-law: Karen and Michael Culloty, Rockville, Md., and Goldie Phillips, Tulsa; two brothers and sisters-in-law: Eric and Nell Choney, Oklahoma City, and Cloyce and Sandra Choney, Shawnee; 16 grandchildren; a great-grandson; and many aunts uncles, cousins, other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Jolene Hampton; and a son, Troy Odell.

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