Kermit "K" Andrew Denton, Jr.

Kermit Andrew “K” Denton, Jr., 86, of Broken Bow, passed away in Norman on August 19, 2024. The son of Kermit Andrew Denton, Sr. and Anna H. “Midge” Cody Denton, K was born on January 14, 1938, at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Oklahoma City.

K attended St. Joe’s Preparatory School in Muskogee, Oklahoma, until his senior year. While at St. Joe’s, he developed many lifelong friendships. He then transferred and graduated from Menard Memorial High School in Alexandria, Louisiana. During his senior year of high school, he was confirmed and became a Catholic. K attended St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, where he played basketball during his freshman year. He also attended the University of Oklahoma.

K began working for his uncle at Clarence Ford Distributing Co. (Coors Original Banquet Beer) in Oklahoma City, where he was given one of the best beer routes, where he worked for two years. In 1965, at the age of 27, he acquired his first club, The Esquire Club in Oklahoma City. This marked the beginning of his entrepreneurial spirit. In 1970, he purchased the Blue Onion Club in Norman and then opened the Squeeze Inn Bar across the street from Owen Stadium, followed by the Buchanan Street Bar & Grill on Campus Corner. K later opened two more Squeeze Inn Bars in Bartlesville and Tahlequah before establishing one of only two fine dining restaurants in Norman at the time, Lafayette’s Restaurant. K loved blues and jazz music and often had blues and jazz bands playing in his clubs and restaurants. Over the years, he opened many small businesses. K was a lover and collector of Native American art, antiques, and collectibles. In 1987 K and his son Andy opened The Windmill Gallery, a Native American art gallery focused on promoting the recognition and sale of Oklahoma Native American art for 20 years.

In 1994, K and Sandra moved to the country on 40 acres in Washington, Oklahoma. A year later, his son and daughter-in-law purchased 30 acres next to them, which became the beginning of the “Denton Compound.” For 25 years, K and Sandra entertained friends, raised grandchildren, and hosted every Easter,4th of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas in the family home they created. Family and grandchildren were very important to K, and all his kids and grandkids will attest that he loved and cared for them all deeply.

K was a faithful parishioner of St. Thomas More University Parish since the late 1970s. He served as an usher for many years and became a member of the Knights of Columbus.. Since 2019 he has attended St. Francis de Sales in Idabel, Oklahoma. He was also a lifelong member of the Hudson Motor Club. At one point, he had 14 Hudson automobiles in his collection, and at the time of his passing, he still owned two. Just last year, at the age of 85, K traveled by himself from Broken Bow to Branson, Missouri, in his 1953 Hudson Wasp for his last International Meet. He held the office of President at the local Dust Bowl Chapter of the Hudson Club. In May 2024, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame for his contribution to the industry as a community builder. He also enjoyed bass fishing, especially at Lake Broken Bow, where he and his wife Sandra have made their home for the last five years. He loved his pit bull dogs, his current one being named Viola. K enjoyed his retirement years living on Hochatime, spending time in his man cave listening to music, fishing, and taking hikes with Sandra.

K is preceded in death by two daughters, Lisa Sullivan and Lyla Denton; two brothers, Gerald “Jay” Cody Denton and Gary Denton; and his parents.

He is survived by his wife of almost 44 years, Sandra Lynn (Taylor) Denton; son, Kermit Andrew Denton III and wife Tanya; daughter, Leslye Denton Garcia and spouse Angel; ten grandchildren, Casey, Kyle, Cheyenna, Veronica, Vivian, Vince, Victoria, Drew, Nevada, and Perseus; four great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, and other loving family members and friends.

A funeral wake will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 PM on Friday, August 23, 2024, at the funeral home. A funeral mass will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, August 24, 2024, at St. Thomas More University Parish in Norman. Burial will be at 11:00 AM on Monday, August 26, 2024, at Watson Memorial Cemetery in Oak Hill, west of Broken Bow, Oklahoma. Arrangements are under the direction of Eisenhour Funeral Home of Blanchard. The online obituary and guestbook are available at www.eisenhourfh.com.