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    Coker
September 8, 2012

Oklahoma conservationist, E.F. 'Doc' Coker, dies at 98

By MJ Brickey Staff Writer

McALESTER — E.F. “Doc” Coker, 98, of Blanco died  Thursday afternoon at a Wilburton nursing home, according to family members.

Coker was a well known pecan-grafting pioneer, a founding member of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission in 1971 and a humanitarian.

He represented area five for the conservation commission for 13 years.    

On Dec. 2, 2010, District 17 state Rep. Dr. Brian Renegar, D-McAlester said that Coker is “the ultimate conservationist.” He was speaking of Coker during a bridge dedication to Coker at Ti Creek in Blanco.

“He was a humanitarian in the truest sense of the word,” Coker’s daughter Cathy Lewis said this week. “Probably the most intelligent man I ever knew and he never saw a child he didn’t love.”

Coker’s wife of almost 43 years, Shirley, said she had two daughters, Cathy and Veronica, when she and Coker met. She said he treated them as his own.

Shirley said her late husband was a teacher for 18 years, and served as superintendent for public schools in Kiowa, Pittsburg and Jack Fork.

“I was 5 years old when I raised my first pig, and I made $5,” Doc Coker said in December 2010. “My mother told me to put it in the bank and start saving for an education.”

Coker went on to obtain a master’s degree in education from Oklahoma University, and paid his own way through college.

Renegar said Friday he was sad to hear Coker had passed. He first met Coker when Coker called him out to his farm for veterinary services.

Renegar said Coker asked him in jest if Renegar would guarantee the calves until they were weaned. Renegar said he told Coker he’d stay if Coker had an extra room so he could be right there with them until then.

“He told me that I couldn’t do that, because I’d never leave, because I’d fall in love with Shirley’s cooking,” Renegar recalled this week.

Richard Beams, a close family friend, said at 6 years old he led Coker and a hunting party by horseback to the gate of his family’s property.

Beams said he not only led the hunting party to the gate, but followed the hunting party to the campsite.

Beams said Coker realized the boy hadn’t gone home before dark, so he made him a place to sleep and something to eat.

“I stayed without my uncle’s permission,” Beams said, and was scolded the next day when he returned.

Beams said he was so excited he returned and spent the remainder of the day on the hunt with Coker and had been close to him ever since.

Linda Beams said she remembered Coker finding some of his students playing hooky at a local pool hall. He retrieved the boys and brought them back to class.

Coker enjoyed collecting antique farm equipment and sentimental things marking time and memories from his life.

Coker was also known for his pecan tree-grafting process and his pecan farm.

He was a cattleman for years, but told the News-Capital in 2010 he sold his cattle and retired from livestock in 1989.

Coker had won many awards and a room in his home is dedicated to the storage of these awards.

“He died at 1 this afternoon,” Cathy Lewis said Thursday. “He must have been expected in heaven at 2. He was always an hour early.”

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