DR. BILL COLE

ADA-Dr. Billy Smith Cole was called home to be with the Lord on March 10, 2010. Dr. Cole was married to the love of his life, Sondra Lee Lackey Cole for 52 years. They have five sons, Brent (Cindy) of Coppell, TX; Page (Ronda) of Owasso; Rhys (Debra) of El Reno; Wade (Kecia) of Oklahoma City; and Drew (Jami) of Duncan. He adored his 11 grandchildren, Brycen, Erin, Nathan, Benjamin, Jarrod, Kail, Kort, Londyn, Fallyn, Cody and Keely. In addition to his immediate family, he is survived by his sisters Rheta (Don) Mankin and Ouilda (Gary) Owen in Texas and brother Arla (Shirley) Cole of McAlester. Dr. Cole enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren; attending their sporting events, livestock shows, dance recitals, birthday parties and the annual family reunion at the lake. In addition to spending time with his grandchildren, he enjoyed time on his farm in Stuart. He was a member of the First Baptist Church, Ada.

Dr. Cole was born November 29, 1937. He grew up in Stuart, OK and graduated from McAlester High School. After graduating from Eastern Oklahoma State College with an Associate's Degree he continued his education at East Central University in Ada, receiving his Baccalaureate Degree in 1959. He received his Masters Degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1965, and conducted post graduate studies at the OU Health Sciences Center and the Oklahoma Biological Research Station. Dr. Cole earned his Doctorate in Education from Oklahoma State University in 1973. His personal academic achievements include membership in Phi Delta Kappa, Phi Kappa Theta fellow, Oklahoma Academy of Sciences, National Science Foundation grants, and the Sigma Xi Research Society.

Dr. Cole's life long career in education began with teaching high school biology courses at Putnam City and then Purcell high schools. In 1967, he joined the faculty of El Reno Junior College as the Life Sciences instructor. He was promoted to the Chairman of the Science Department while teaching at ERJC and was again promoted to the Assistant Dean of Instruction position in 1975. In 1976, Dr. Cole was named President of El Reno Junior College, now Redlands Community College. During his career in El Reno, the campus grew from one building to seven along with the addition of many new programs and relationships with the business community of El Reno. The Bill S. Cole Technology Center was named in his honor in 1989 to recognize his dedication and service.

Dr. Cole returned to his alma mater, East Central University in Ada, OK as President in 1989 and served until his retirement on June 30, 2006. While at East Central, he led the campus through the technology revolution and oversaw 21 construction, renovation, and expansion projects including a new Library, a student University Center, and the new Fine Arts Center. Under his leadership, 16 endowments of academic chairs, professorships, and lectureships were established. He was instrumental in acquiring nearly $100 million in grants for ECU and oversaw the growth of the ECU Foundation from almost $2 million to more than $20 million in assets. ECU is the only Oklahoma university that has hosted all seven TRIO programs. The University Center was recently named in his honor as the "Bill S. Cole University Center".

His experience and passion for education influenced the many academic organizations that benefited from leadership roles that he filled in the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the Council of Presidents, NCAA, Council of Presidents, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (President), President's Council, Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges (President, Past President), East Central University Foundation, board of directors, Council of North Central Community Junior Colleges Association (Past first Vice President and President Elect), Oklahoma Bi-State Athletic Association (Past Secretary and Treasurer), Higher Education Alumni Council of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Association of Community and Junior Colleges, the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges, and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Dr. Cole's tireless efforts were acknowledged by his peers with the Excellence in Education award by Seminole State College and as a Distinguished Alumni of Eastern Oklahoma State College. Additional honors include being named to the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Education Hall of Fame. National awards included the Distinguished Leadership Award from the Council of Opportunity in Education for service in federal TRIO programs.

In addition to his service to Secondary and Collegiate education, Dr. Cole has also participated in many civic arenas. He served as President of the Ada Sunrise Rotary Club and was recognized as a Paul Harris fellow, the highest honor bestowed by Rotary Club. Also, he was a member of the Southern Industrial Development Council, the Ada Area United Way Board of Directors, the Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce and Industry Board of Directors, the Ada Jobs Authority Board of Directors, President of the Canadian County Board of Health, President of the Comprehensive Community Services for Oklahoma and Canadian Counties, President of Chisholm Trail Mental Health of Canadian and Grady Counties, Boy Scouts of America volunteer, President of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council State Planning Board, the Oklahoma Industrial Development Council Board of Directors, President of the Ada Chamber of Commerce, the Tri-County Indian Nations Authority, the Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Retired Presidents Council. He was named outstanding citizen of the Year of El Reno in 1981, and represented Oklahoma at the national level as the Oklahoma Economic Development Volunteer of the Year in 1986. In 1988 he was selected as the Volunteer of the Year for the Department of Human Service Mentally Handicapped Division and as a Friend of the Family by the Oklahoma Home Economics Association in 1994.

Although he retired from the university setting in 2006, he continued his contribution to education through obtaining TRIO grants for various colleges across Oklahoma. Dr. Cole continued working toward his dream that every man, woman, and child be given an opportunity to continue their education past high school, whether technical or collegiate. He committed his life to helping others help themselves, until a battle with cancer kept him from continuing his life's passion.

Services for Dr. Cole will be at 11 a.m. at the First Baptist Church in Ada, Oklahoma, with his friend and pastor Dr. Pat Kilby officiating on Monday, March 15, 2010. At the conclusion of the service the family will receive guests in the church Atrium until 1 p.m. A memorial service will be held at the Redlands Community College Conference Center at 4 p.m., with the burial to follow at the El Reno Cemetery in El Reno, OK.

Dr. Cole and his family request that in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Bill Cole Scholarships % ECU Foundation, P. O. Box Y-8, Ada, Ok 74821 or the First Baptist Church Falls Creek Cabin Fund, 521 S. Broadway, Ada, OK 74820.

Criswell Funeral Home, Ada