Don Hazell

Donald Bliss Hazell was born on November 5, 1934 near Penalosa, Kansas and died October 26 in Denison, Texas.

Dr. Hazell grew up on a farm and ranch in Kansas and went to college at Ft. Hays State University (KS). He served for two years in the U.S. Army and then received his Ph.D. in range management from Oklahoma State University in 1963. That same year he joined the faculty at Southeastern State College, where he taught for 32 years. He especially enjoyed mentoring future teachers, and public school science departments throughout southeastern Oklahoma and northeastern Texas are filled with his former students. He also served for many years as Southeastern's NAIA Faculty Athletic Representative.

In the early 1970s he began working as a lay minister in churches of all denominations. He preached regularly at Bennington's Old Presbyterian Church, and later served as pastor of First Christian Church in Atoka, Oklahoma for 16 years. In the 90s and into the 2000s, he volunteered much of his time as a prison chaplain at both Mack Alford Correctional Center and McLeod Correctional Center.

Dr. Hazell enjoyed a broad range of hobbies. He was an avid quail and turkey hunter. With his friends, he bet on anything one could possibly bet on – but never for more than a quarter. He also collected all kinds of antiques. He once possessed one of the largest barbed wire collections in the U.S., and he accumulated everything from cast iron tractor seats to pie birds to hat pins to pocket knives to date nails. He loved to buy and sell at gun shows, and he enjoyed telling stories about hunting and "horse trading" at least as much as he enjoyed the activities themselves.

He married Koula Scolas, from Richland Center, Wisconsin, on January 25, 1959. He liked to point out that she was smarter than him, and he especially liked commenting that the best thing he ever did for his children was to choose her as their mother.

In addition to Koula, Dr. Hazell is also survived by: a sister, Marilee Wheeler of Tyler, Texas; three children – Jon Hazell and wife Jeanie of Durant, Oklahoma, Eric Hazell and wife Terry of Georgetown, Texas, and Amy Hazell of Plano, Texas; and four grandchildren – Kyle (and wife Regan), Cicely, Marney, and Jayce Hazell.

Services will be held at Community Christian Church in Durant, OK at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday October 29, with family hour at Holmes Coffey Murray Funeral Home at 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday October 28.

Family and friends may send online condolences and view tributes at www.holmescoffeymurray.com.

Holmes-Coffey-Murray Funeral Home, Durant, Oklahoma.