Terry Lee Findley

Terry Lee Findley was born December 19, 1947 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was the son of Leslie Lee and Delores Findley. Terry was raised in the Tulsa area and attended McClain High School.

Prior to completion of his education, Terry was inducted into the service of his country in the United States Navy on April 7, 1965. Upon completion of basic training, Seaman Findley was assigned his initial duty as a .50 caliber Gunner Mate on DLG-23, USS Halsey. During this period Halsey was assigned to Destroyer Squadron 7, Destroyer Division 71, in the Pacific Fleet and rescued some 16 airmen in two cruises in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam. Petty Officer Findley was then assigned to DER-251, USS Camp, a radar picket ship, sent to Indo-China for coastal patrol and interdiction. (Operation Market Time). After being shot up in a fire fight, USS Camp crippled back to Hawaii for repairs and then returned to Vietnam for more action. Terry was injured in the line of duty and was comatose for nearly thirty days with severe back injuries. After recovery and rehabilitation, Petty Officer Findley was assigned duty as a gunner's mate for a landing crew which prevented a Vietnamese Swift Boat from sinking. His efforts were rewarded with a commendation from the Vietnamese Navy and a Navy Unit Commendation. Terry then returned to the United States and was honorably discharged on November 1, 1968. In addition to the Navy Unit Commendation, Terry was awarded the Vietnam Campaign Medal (with device), Vietnam Service Medal (with one bronze star) and the National Defense Medal.

While recovering from his back injury prior to his release from active duty, Terry was married to Nikki Valueff on February 18, 1967 in Huntingpark, California. The couple had three children, Linda, Terry and Lisa. After a short tenure with the Los Angeles Police Department, Terry began a career as an electrician, receiving on the job training working for Ted Held Electric in 1968. He was injured in November 1969 when he fell from some scaffolding he was working on at the San Pedro Shipyard. After a period of light duty, Terry returned to work for Ted Held Electric and continued until 1971.

Terry then accepted employment with Current Electric doing work for the Veterans Administration rewiring buildings and inspector work. He then was employed by Bell Gardens Electric in commercial electric and industrial control wiring and engineering. During his employment, Terry attended Los Angeles Votech, studying Electrical Engineering and Business Law. He also operated his own company, Findley Electrical Services during this time and sold the company prior to moving to Oklahoma in 1977.

Terry then established an Oilfield Electrical Service, rewinding motors and providing electrical service to wells, T & L Electric. In 1980, he continued to operate an electrical motor service until a fire in 1986 destroyed the Findley home and business. He then accepted employment as a correctional officer at the R.B. Dick Conner Correctional Center in Hominy, Oklahoma until 1992. Nikki his beloved wife, companion and partner for twenty-six years, passed away on November 29, 1992.

During his employment with the Department of Corrections, Terry was also active as a bounty hunter and through this established a bail bond business. At the time of his death, Terry was still active in Findley Bail Bonds, US Bonding and Recovery Agency in Pawnee and A Affordable Bail Bonds in Stillwater.

In 1997, Terry met Dawn Simpson in Pawnee. After a bonding experience, the couple made their home together in Pawnee for the past seven years. They were married on October 29, 2004 at the Pawnee County Court House. Terry passed away on Tuesday, November 9, 2004 at his home in Pawnee at the age of fifty-six years, ten months and twenty days. He was preceded in death by his father and his mother.

Terry is survived by his wife, Dawn of the home; son, Terry Lee Findley, Jr. of Tulsa, Oklahoma; two daughters, Linda Gail Livolsi of Cleveland, Oklahoma and Lisa Jeanine Sullins of Catoosa, Oklahoma; two grandchildren, Steven Sullins of Hominy, Oklahoma and Nicholas Alexander Livolsi of Cleveland, Oklahoma; brother, Richard Wayne Findley of Kuwait; half sisters, Renee Mills of Cleveland, Deborah of Wichita, Kansas and Sheri of Wichita, Kansas; and a step mother, Billie Joann Hedrick of Cleveland, Oklahoma.

Memorial services will be held at 2:00 pm, Tuesday, November 16, 2004 at the First Christian Church in Cleveland. Arrangement were under the direction of the Chapman-Black Funeral Home.

Visit an online obituary, guestbook and video tribute for Terry Findley at www.chapman-black.com.