Phillip Q. Klutts

Funeral services for Phillip Klutts will be held Saturday, April 30, 2016 at 10:00 AM at the First Baptist Church in Okemah. Interment will follow at the Highland Cemetery in Okemah. Phillip Klutts was born September 20, 1935 in Boley, Oklahoma to Quinton L. Klutts and Voysie (York) Klutts. He passed away Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at his home in Okemah at the age of 80. Phillip was one of three children raised on a farm in Seminole County. After graduating from High School as class valedictorian, he earned a degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Oklahoma with high scholastic marks including Pi Epsilon Tau (Petroleum Engineering Top Ten Percent), Tau Beta Pi (Top Five Percent all Engineering) and Sigma Tau. He worked as an engineer and engineering supervisor over thirty years in the oil and gas and aircraft industries. He was a project design and construction management Engineer at Tinker Air Force Base and Project Engineer in the design, testing and operation of aircraft components and systems. During these same years, he built successful farming and ranching and insurance businesses. At the same time, he was involved in a broad range of community service activities. He served on the local School Board and various other local boards. He helped organize and was actively involved in building a rural water district to serve his home community, was its Chairman for more than 22 years and had served on the Board of Directors. While holding a full time job and farming and ranching, he owned and operated a very successful insurance agency. He also became active in the Oklahoma Rural Water Association, was elected to the Board of Directors, having served as president. During his years as President of the Oklahoma Rural Water Association, he was actively involved in relocation of the state headquarters into a new office facility near the State Capitol in Oklahoma City. He was actively involved in legislation at the national level to allow rural water systems to buy back their loans from the Farmers Home Administration at deep discounts, saving Oklahoma’s rural water systems millions of dollars and billions nationwide. In the mid-1980s, he purchased a local Farmers Union insurance agency, and later was elected to the State Board of Directors. Thereafter he was elected President of Chief Executive Officer. Phillip also served on the Board of Directors of the National Rural Water Association. In addition, as Board Chairman, he was actively engaged in the Washington, DC-based national, non-profit organization, Experience WORKS, Inc., in setting policy, directing and communicating with management to benefit and provide jobs to approximately 20,000 low income, older Americans throughout the nation. He also was a landowner providing a home for the Okemah Lt. Governor’s Turkey Hunt for more than 20 years. On December 17, 1954 in Eufaula, Oklahoma, he married Josephine Bean and was a member of the Okemah First Baptist Church. Other professional accomplishments and awards include: • Board member and original organizer of Rural Water Chairman District 2, Okfuskee, County • Recipient of the Friend of the Cattle Industry Award from the National Livestock Market Association • CY Carpenter Award in 2009 given to a “person whose leadership has helped lived of low income and older Americans” • Oklahoma Rural Water Association “Hall of Fame Pioneer Award” in 1994 • Water Pioneer of Oklahoma awarded at the Governor’s Water Conference • Man of the Year Award from the OK Rural Water Assoc. • Honorary FFA Chapter Degree award from the Okemah FFA • Honorary 4-H Club Membership Award from the Okfuskee County 4-H Club. • Inducted into the Okemah Hall of Fame for a lifetime work and accomplishment in community service. • The founding director of ORWAAG that insured local rural water districts (1988-2016) He is preceded in death by his parents, one brother, Jack Klutts and one sister, Sue Nell Brown. Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Josephine Klutts of the home; one son, Stanley Klutts and wife Netta of Okemah; one daughter, Annette Bohannon and husband Johnny of Eufaula; six grandchildren, Sage Klutts, Cheyenne Klutts of Okemah and Gus Klutts of Wilburton, Oklahoma and Kelby Bohannon and wife Michelle of Southwest City, Missouri and Ty Bohannon and wife Brandi of Eufaula and Antonio Graham of Tulsa; and five great-grandchildren, Brody, Bryor, Baylor and Braddock Bohannon and Keaton Givens. Serving as active pallbearers will be Gus Klutts, Kelby Bohannon, Ty Bohannon, Antonio Graham, Jake Stapp and Raynor Bean. Honorary bearers include: Dorn Weaver, Dan Boren, Leon McCoy, Steve Stanley, Jim Bill Copeland, Ron Vick, John Williams, James Madden and Gene Rainbolt. Services will be under the direction of Parks Brothers Funeral Home, Okemah and officiated by Rev. Wade Harelson.

Phillip Q. Klutts

September 20, 1935 - April 27, 2016