04/08/2026
Ortrey David Hawley
Funeral services for Ortrey David Hawley will be held at 1:00 pm Monday April 13, 2026, at the First Methodist Church – McClure Chapel in Ardmore with Dr. David Daniel officiating. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Park Tom Shilling, David Shilling, Jim Harris, Gary Keeney, and Hunter Adams serving as pallbearers, and Mel Barker, Allen Knippers, and Steve Harris serving as honorary pallbearers.
Ortrey was born Saturday, November 18, 1933, in Ardmore, Oklahoma to Dee and Ella Mae (Love) Hawley and died Wednesday April 8, 2026, in Ardmore, Oklahoma at the age of 92 years, 4 months and 21 days.
Ortrey was born and spent his early childhood in the Smyrna and Provence areas east of Ardmore. He worked alongside his parents on their family farms, helping with daily tasks such as feeding livestock, gathering eggs, separating milk, pruning orchards, tending vegetable gardens, canning produce, and butchering hogs. These early experiences instilled in him a strong work ethic that remained with him throughout his life.
Toward the end of World War II, when Ortrey was about 12 years old, his family moved to San Francisco for a year in search of work. This time left a lasting impression on him. While there, he accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior and took on his first paper route. When applying for a Social Security card, he realized he needed a middle name and chose “David” in honor of King David, his favorite figure in the Bible. After initially being accompanied by his mother, Ortrey quickly memorized the trolley routes and stops he needed, traveling miles each day through the city on his own.
After returning to Ardmore, Ortrey completed his education at Ardmore High School, graduating with the Class of 1951. During these years, he attended Lighthouse Assembly of God Church, played junior high basketball, worked a paper route for The Daily Ardmoreite, purchased his first car, and met the love of his life, Harlene. Following graduation, he began working full-time at The Daily Ardmoreite and started saving to build a home for Harlene. Three years later, they were married, and he had completed their first home. In the years that followed, Ortrey built three additional homes for Harlene and their daughters, doing much of the work himself, with Harlene contributing through painting and finishing woodwork. Together, they lived a life marked by hard work, dedication, and frugality.
Ortrey continued his love of gardening and beekeeping throughout his life. He cared for fruit and pecan trees, maintained a meticulous yard, and enjoyed cooking, especially making jelly from his harvests. All of this he managed while working full-time at The Daily Ardmoreite. It seemed that only during sleep was he not working, spending time with his family, or serving his church.
Ortrey was known for his wisdom in decision-making and his servant’s heart. When he purchased his first car—the nicest in his family—his mother often asked him to drive her and her sisters on their trips, a role he fulfilled with quiet generosity.
He continued giving himself to his family throughout his adult life. He devoted himself to Harlene and their daughters – helping Harlene in the kitchen, taking care of their home, playing softball with their daughters, teaching them to ride bikes, swim, and water ski. He provided a home for them to grow up in, with trees to climb and swing sets to ride. And he was always ready to doctor their skinned knees and elbows when they fell.
Ortrey’s kindness and giving extended beyond Harlene and their daughters. He shared his faith, his wisdom, and his life lessons with extended family as well. His love and loyalty drove his willingness to help any of his extended family, and the strength of his work ethic was the pillar from which he helped carry their burdens.
He often told his family “We’ve just got to put our hands in the Lord’s hand and hang on.”
"The world has many heroes, some you'd know by name.
They give their best at what they do, so they deserve their fame.
But among all the heroes this world has had,
there is not one admired more than the guy we call Dad.
Perhaps not like the others, he doesn’t look for praise,
he's heroic in his special way, in his thoughtful, caring ways.
Perhaps he's not as famous as the others that you see.
But he's everything and so much more that heroes ought to be.
He keeps his word, it's good as gold, on this you can depend.
He's honest and he's loyal too, he's also a true friend.
When we hear about a hero and the great things they have done,
it reminds us of our Daddy, he is the greatest one."
Ortrey was also preceded in death by his parents; his granddaughter, Heidi Barker; his grandson, Matthew Shilling. He is survived by his daughters and their husbands: Revonda Shilling and Tom of Ardmore; Sherri Barker and Mel of South Carolina; grandchildren: David Shilling, Dr. Hilary Knippers and her husband, Allen; great-granddaughter: Molly Knippers; and many beloved nieces and nephews and their children and grandchildren.
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