Edgar Earl Bookout
Edgar (Ed) Earl Bookout, Jr., 79, entered Heaven Saturday, August 1st, 2015 at his home in Hastings, OK following a brave battle with cancer.
He leaves his wife of 57 years, Charlene (Qualls) Bookout; his daughter, Toni Bascom and her husband of Broken Arrow, OK; daughter-in-law, Jeannie Bookout of Broken Arrow, OK; granddaughter, Amanda Schroeder and her husband of Denison, TX ; grandson, Aaron Ghaemi and his wife of Stillwater, OK; granddaughter Ashton Ghaemi of Sherman, TX; three great-grandchildren; three step grandchildren; four step great-grandchildren; three step great-great grandchildren; and many other loved family members and close friends.
He was preceded in death by his son, Jeffrey Wayne Bookout.
In his youth, Ed spent much of his time working in local bakeries and, eventually, worked in his family-owned bakery. In 1954 he graduated high school in Hobbs, NM and went on to attend college at Abilene Christian College with his best friend, Bill Elliott. In a memoir, Ed joked, "We horsed around and partied and made failing grades. We wasted our money, but at least it was our money and not our parents." In 1957, while starting his long-time career in cable television, Ed met his wife, Charlene. They married the following April in Pueblo, CO. In February of 1959, Ed welcomed into the world his daughter, Toni. In March of 1960, the birth of his son, Jeff, completed their family.
Over the next twenty years, Ed and his family moved several times as he was promoted within cable television. In 1981, he decided to hang up his hard hat and move to Hastings, OK to be closer to family. Within that same year, he and his wife opened the renowned Hastee Ed's restaurant and ran it until they sold the business in 1998. Ed semi-retired then, working some for the Randlett and Red River Smokeshops and the Kiowa Casino.
Ed was a very spiritual, caring, and generous man. He never met a stranger and loved his family immensely. Many times, he would say, "My family is my wealth. I am the richest man in the world."
A celebration of Ed's life will be held, Thursday, August 6th, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. at Dudley Funeral Home in Waurika, OK.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Hastings Volunteer Fire Department or Chisholm Trail Hospice.
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