V. P. (Vernon Paul) Staley

V.P. Staley (Vernon Paul), passed away Sunday March 28th, 2021 in his home in Claremore, OK at the age of 75. V.P. was born on June 18th, 1945 to Carrie Louise Staley (Burton) and Vernon E. Staley.

V.P. married Karla Dean Davis in July of 1976 in Las Vegas, NV. They had two children together, Kassie and Jansen. Though the marriage ended in 1981, he remained a Seminole resident, never remarried, and shared the responsibility of raising their children.

V.P. was a gifted artist and expert carpenter. From canvas to car repair to tile mosaics, he made it look easy. If you needed help, he'd be the first one there. These skills provided him work in and around Seminole for many years from funeral home to frame carpentry. He worked at the Seminole Wal-Mart for many years and made many great friends. V.P. knew a lot of people and a lot of people knew him.

V.P. is survived by his son Jansen Staley of Tulsa; his daughter Kassie Smith and her husband Lucas Smith of Claremore; two grandchildren Garrett Smith and Katelynd Smith; two nephews, Scott Staley of Shawnee, Steven Staley of Bartlesville; numerous great nieces and nephews; brother-in-law and sister-in-law Larry & Ivona Watson, of Seminole.

V.P. lived most of his life in Seminole where he attended school and graduated, with honors, in 1963. His interest in the drama department at Seminole High School led to his participation in several productions and many friendships were formed during those years. Most of which also played roles in much of the mischief he'd orchestrated, both in school and after. The friendships would continue and those memories were cherished, proven by the animated and serious way he would retell the stories.

He touched many lives and made a lot of people smile and laugh. He told crazy stories out of the blue, read the newspaper comics every day, and once he figured out Pinterest he shared all kinds of funny pictures. He loved his dogs and never met one he didn’t like. He was all things hippie, peace, and tye-dyed; loved music, concerts, comedians and was a smiley face emoji before emojis were a thing.

V.P. moved to Claremore to be closer to his son, daughter, son-in-law and his two grandchildren. He took his dog on daily walks around the neighborhood to visit everyone. He enjoyed most the family dinners, porch time conversation, and the time spent together.

Memorial services will be held on Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. at Swearingen Funeral Home Chapel with Jansen Staley officiating.  Services are under the direction of Swearingen Funeral Home in Seminole, OK.