Pete Hurd, life-long resident of Ponca City, Oklahoma, died at his home on Wednesday, August 26, 2020, after a long and difficult struggle with kidney disease and partial paralysis. He was 82 years old. Pete was born in Ponca City in 1938, the fourth son of Vernon and Winnie Hurd. He attended Ponca City schools, graduating from Ponca City High School in 1956. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1957, and served for four years aboard the USS Hamul, a destroyer tender, making two excursions to Japan, the Philippines, China, and the surrounding areas.

In 1958 Pete married his high school sweetheart, Norma McCool, in Long Beach, California where he was stationed aboard the Hamul. After leaving the Navy, Pete had a 20-year career with National Cash Register Company as a Technician. During those years he and Norma and the boys lived in Denver, Colorado, and Enid, Oklahoma, and in 1968 the company relocated Pete back to the Ponca City office. After leaving NCR, Pete went to work for Pioneer Technical School, serving in different capacities, wherever he was needed. He enjoyed a fifteen-year career with Pioneer Tech, and, as he did with his Navy buddies, his NCR friends, and everywhere he went, he made many life-long friendships there.

Their life and love story has continued for sixty-two-and-a-half years. They were blessed with two sons; Danny, of Ponca City, and David, of Tulsa. The boys brought to the family Danny's wife Rhonda (Kizer) and David's wife Anita (England). Their lives were further enriched by the births of Danny and Rhonda's children, Cameron, Heidi, and Jessica. Just when they thought things couldn't get any better, those amazing grandkids had children of their own; Cameron's and Amy's Caylee, Cayden, and Caycee; Heidi's Katelyn, Keenon, Carson, and Addyson; and Jessica's and Danny's Kelby and Raylee. Pete treasured each one of them, and delighted in entertaining them with his pull-the-string-through-his-hand trick, or the splitting-his-thumb trick, or any number of card tricks and jokes.

Ask Pete "How are you doing?", and his answer might be "I'm just finer than frog's hair"; or "If I was any better you couldn't stand me", or "If I was any better I'd be twins". His sense of humor is legendary, and he could tell jokes forever, and never, ever forgot a joke and repeated them endlessly if given half a chance.

Pete was a life-long member of Albright United Methodist Church, where he served in many offices and capacities over the years. He was happiest when he could be in church, where he sang in the Chancel Choir, with the gospel quartet "The Four of Us", and taught Sunday School for the Homemaker's Class. He had a beautiful voice, and loved to sing, and shared his faith through singing many solos in church. Following back surgery, he worked hard to escape the wheelchair and set a goal to be able to stand again in church and sing a solo, a goal he was eventually able to achieve. Even as his health failed, and he was bedridden and paralyzed from the waist down, on good days he could be heard singing softly, or humming. His knowledge of scripture, and especially of Bible history, was thorough, because he studied, and owned many resource books, which he utilized extensively when preparing his Sunday School lessons. He enjoyed a good debate, but never wavered in his faith in God and his belief in God's grace and forgiveness for everyone.

Pete's dream for many years was to have an RV and travel the country, so after he and Norma retired, they made that dream happen. They enjoyed living and traveling in the RV full-time for four years before his failing health forced them to return to their home.

There were many things in life that Pete loved. First and foremost, he loved Norma, his boys, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren with all his heart. He loved all things golf. He never got very good at it, but he loved it! Being a volunteer at the U. S. Senior Open in Hutchinson, Kansas in 2006 was one of the highlights of his life. He loved traveling in the RV, seeing new and interesting places along the way. He loved puttering in the garage and doing woodworking, taking drives in the rain, and the family dogs Laddie and especially Dudley. He loved people, and he loved to talk. He made strangers his friend and told them his family history while he sat on a bench in a mall waiting for Norma.

Pete is survived by his wife Norma, sons Danny and his wife Rhonda and David and his wife Anita, grandchildren Cameron (Amy), Heidi, (Justin), and Jessica (Danny); and the nine great grand-children. He is also survived by his older brother, Mark and nephew Les Hurd and wife Lora, all of Toluca, Ill., and by his three brothers-in-law, Darrel McCool, Rick McCool, and Mike McCool, and their families.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Vernon and Winnie Hurd, two brothers, Lee and Malcom Hurd, his parents-in-law Ray and Millie Gould and H. L. and Ann McCool, and sisters-in-law Judy McCool and Jeri Hurd.

A celebration of this incredible man's life is being planned for a later date. In the meantime, the family asks that you reflect on your memories of him, and feel free to share them with any of them on Facebook or through Facebook Messenger, or in a note to Norma. A memorial will be established in his honor at Albright United Methodist Church. Alternatively, should you desire, contributions in his name to Hospice of North Central Oklahoma or the Kidney Foundation would be appreciated.

The family would also like to express their thanks and appreciation to the staff at Fresenious Dialysis Center of Ponca City, for their patient and compassionate care during Pete's dialysis sessions; to Dr. and Mrs. Patrick Gray and their staff; Dr. Kovach; Precise Home Health staff; and Hospice of NCO. With their support and help, Norma was able to care for Pete at home, where he died as he wished, with her by his side.

Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Amy Stittsworth Funeral Services.