Homer L. Stephens Jr., 79, of McAlester, died Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009, at Heritage Hills Nursing Center.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Brumley-Mills Chapel with the Rev. Richard Jackson officiating. Burial will be at Ash Creek Cemetery. Military honors will be provided by the Robert B. Thomas Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1098. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Brumley-Mills Funeral Home of McAlester.

Born Dec. 27, 1929, in Lake City, Ark., he was the son of Homer L. and Myrtle E. (Sparks) Stephens.

He served in the United States Army and was a veteran of the Korean War, retiring a warrant officer after 22 years of service.

He was a graduate of the University of Omaha with a degree in economics and was a consultant on the space shuttle.

He owned several businesses including Professional Packaging in El Paso, Texas, Southeastern Oklahoma Packaging and Box Co., Payday Cars, Homer Stephen’s Truck Sales and Stephens Home Builders Inc., all in McAlester. He built numerous homes, condos and apartments. He married Barbara Irene Traylor on June 8, 1987, in Pecos, Texas.

Survivors include his wife, Barbara Stephens, of the home; one daughter and son-in-law, Karen and Dale Davis, North Richland Hills, Texas; three sons and daughters-in-law, Bill and Cheryl Stephens, Duluth, Minn., Tommy and Pamela Stephens, Grapevine, Texas, and retired Col. Jimmy Stephens and wife, Cindy, Wilmington, N.C.; one stepson, Carlie Joe Williamson, Fort Smith, Ark.; one stepdaughter and husband, Marilyn and Jamie Rice, of Krebs; 10 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren, and the mother of his children, Mary Stephens, Waulonga, Texas.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and one grandson, Mark Stephens.

Pallbearers will be Herman Washington, James Morgan, Brian Morgan, Jim Thomas, Jim Logsdon and Jamie Rice.

Honorary pallbearers will be Harold Cloer and Tom Webb