James G. Gonders

James G. "Jim" Gonders was born on December 4, 1930, at his maternal grandmother and grandfather's home, "Mountain View Farm", Marshfield, MO, to James M. Gonders and Loie E. Gonders. In his early years, Jim spent many happy times in Marshfield with beloved aunts, uncles and cousins, working in the family tomato canning factory, playing in the creek, and enjoying the many adventures on the farm. Jim was baptized in a creek near Mission Home Baptist Church in Marshfield, and his heart would always be there. Jim's family moved around frequently due to his father's work as a lineman for AT&T and they relished the adventure of moving to new places. The family settled in Oklahoma City where Jim attended Taft Jr High and Classen High School (Class of 1948), where he was a member of the state championship basketball team. Jim attended the University of Oklahoma, where he was a member of Kappa Alpha fraternity and earned a B.S. in Industrial Management in 1956. Jim's KA brothers meant the world to him and he continued to be active with his local chapter at OU throughout his life. He was elected to the Kappa Alpha Court of Honor in 1990, a distinction that honored and humbled him. Jim was a U.S. Marine, and was honorably discharged with the rank of Corporal. Upon graduation from OU, Jim was employed with Cities Service Co. in Bartlesville, OK. This was the beginning of a long career with Cities, spanning many U.S. states as well as Saudi Arabia. Jim was moved to Cities' Lafayette, LA office. It was there that he met a cute receptionist, Margaret Piccolo. They married September 30, 1961. The couple lived all over the southern U.S. and made many deep and lasting friendships in the "oil patch" along the way. Cities moved Jim to Houston, TX, where he oversaw drilling and production in the Gulf of Mexico. Jim spent many long hours on offshore drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico and it truly was in his blood. His love and concern for these hard-working men was evident and he considered them to be his family. He spent countless hours taking phone calls from the rigs in the middle of the night. The oil industry was good to Jim and he dearly loved every minute of his involvement with fellow oil industry workers. From the cajun crawfish boils to the golf tournaments he played in, the many friendships he made while employed with Cities were meaningful and spanned a lifetime. Jim and Margaret returned to Oklahoma City in 1982, where he lived until his death. Along the winding path through the oilfield years, three children were born to Jim and Margaret: Jimmy, Loie and Tracy. Jim was a lifelong fan and supporter of the Oklahoma Sooners and he passed that love of all things OU to his children and 8 grandchildren. All 3 of his children and their spouses are OU graduates. Jim was a Lifetime member of the OU Alumni Association, a member of the Alumni Advisory Council, OU Foundation and the Sooner Club. Jim was a fan of any and every sport that OU played. If there was a sport on TV, and OU was playing, you could bet Jim was watching and cheering. Jim was an OU football season ticket holder since 1956 and attended almost every OU-TX game over the years. He was proud to have been honored with recognition at halftime on the field as a long-time season ticket holder. While living out of Oklahoma, Jim would drive the family through the night on Fridays to be able to attend games on Saturday in Norman. Jim spent his entire corporate career with Cities Service Co, which later became Occidental Petroleum. Upon retirement, Jim loved the oil industry so much that he became an independent consultant, which took him to international destinations including Russia and Doha, Qatar. Among his many accolades, Jim published several oilfield drilling articles, and was a guest speaker at various oilfield related venues during his career. He was an Oklahoma Registered Professional Engineer and a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME. Jim was an active member of Quail Springs Baptist Church, Oklahoma City, since 1983. Jim is survived by his wife of 54 years, Margaret; son Jim Gonders, Jr. and daughter-in-law, Kristin, grandsons Ethan and Aaron and granddaughter Amy, all of Tulsa; daughter Loie Walman and son-in-law, Steve, granddaughters Hannah and Emma, all of Tulsa; daughter Tracy Crenshaw and son-in-law, Quinton, granddaughters Ella and Elizabeth and grandson Callaway, all of Oklahoma City; sister, Jeanne Mahood and husband, Mike, of Houston; nephew David Mahood, and family, of Houston; nephew Steve Mahood, and family, of Houston; niece Elizabeth Bezanson, and family, of Austin; and a multitude of extended family.