Dennis Westman

Dennis “Denny” Westman was born in Detroit, Michigan on Thursday, June 6, 1946 to George Westman, Jr. and Lucille Giles Westman. Denny passed away in Tulsa, OK on Sunday, June 2, 2019 at the age of 72. Denny graduated in 1964 from Cadillac High School in Michigan where he played football, golfed, skied, ran track, and played hockey, where he was known as a great skater and tough along the boards. He went on to attend and play football at Eastern Michigan University after faithfully serving in the United States Army in active combat during the Vietnam War. He met his wife Kaye Roberson Westman on a blind date while on station leave from Fort Sill, OK and they married September 14, 1968 in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Their union was blessed with two daughters, 3 dogs, 2 hamsters, 2 parakeets, and a flying squirrel (he requested we not forget anyone). He retired after 38 years of service as an underwriter for MetLife after transferring from offices in Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and New Jersey where he accumulated more Snoopy swag, rubber bands, paper clips, and rubber stamps then you can count over the course of his career. He loved using his “Approved” stamp the most! He lived by the moto “One day at a time” and was often heard telling everyone “life is good.” He was known for saying “Holy Catoot” when he was surprised or excited. When anyone, even the nurses at the hospital, asked if there was anything else they could get him, he would always reply “the winning lotto numbers.” One of his biggest regrets was not having those numbers. Denny was a kid at heart and he loved holidays especially Christmas. He believed there was never an age or a size to stop sitting on Santa’s lap for a photo op, which many of you are familiar with his annual Christmas card. He strived to make Santa’s Nice List and even aspired to look like him by growing his beard. He enjoyed life and loved so many things that there is not enough time or paper to list them all. Some of his favorites were golfing, riding his Harley, hunting of any kind, cold beer, watching all sports, the Hallmark Channel at Christmas time, listening to Christian music on the radio, going to estate sales, traveling to visit friends and family, shopping on Canal Street in NYC, eating good barbecue and White Castle, playing sports, coaching youth soccer and initiating a youth hockey program in Tulsa, people watching (especially every year at the Tulsa State Fair), and most importantly caring for his family. Denny proclaimed after retirement to be a professional grandpa to Shelbie Neel, Rylan Berry, grand dog Gizmo, and grand kitty Calico. He described his duties of chauffeuring them anywhere they wanted to go, spoiling them with whatever they wanted, and teaching them the important stuff in life. He declared they loved it! Denny was a member of the Elks Lodge #2673 and the American Legion Post No 308 and will forever be known for playing one of his favorite songs “Soda Cracker” as he called it (aka Chubby Checker’s Hooka Tooka) on the jukebox when he arrived. He loved playing for the money pots, partaking in all the events, and looked forward to his weekly check-ins to see if he was lucky. To his family he was known to be extremely generous and never missed a chance to go in for a hug and a wedgie, earning the title King of the Wedgie. He is survived by his wife Kaye Westman, daughters Kayce Westman and DeeDee (Delana) Westman-Berry; son-in-law Jason Berry; grandchildren Shelbie Neel and Rylan Berry; half-sisters Vicki Baker and Debbie Domsic and husband Rick Domsic. Dennis was preceded in death by his grandmother Tyra Margaret Westman, his parents, sister Sandy Stone, and all the animals listed above. In honor or Denny, the family requests you dress in your favorite golf shirt, sports team or anything patriotic. A Military Honor Service and inurnment will be held June 13, 2019 at 10:00 at Fort Gibson National Cemetery in Fort Gibson, OK A Celebration of Life Ceremony will follow the service at 11:30 and be held at the Broken Arrow Elks Lodge located at 10266 S 241st East Ave, Broken Arrow, Ok 74014. Memorial donations can be made to the American Cancer Association https://donate3.canncer.org , the ALS organization http://www.alsa.org/donate/ , or to your favorite watering hole, where he would expect you to have a drink in his memory and share your favorite story of the audacious Denny Westman.

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Dennis Westman

June 6, 1946 - June 2, 2019