Fred James Cheek

Frederick (Fred) James Cheek, 80, died on October 23, 2025, in Tulsa, OK after a battle with Alzheimer's. Fred was born on October 24, 1944, to James and Helen Cheek in Big Spring, TX.
Fred attended school in Vinita, OK, where he played football, basketball and baseball. He held many school records in football, including most rushing touchdowns in a season. Some of his records were held for many years before being broken. He made All-State in football, 2nd team All-American, and honorable mention in basketball. He graduated from Vinita High School in 1963.
Fred attended college on a football scholarship at New Mexico State, Cameron Junior College, and Northeastern State College in Tahlequah. While at Cameron he played in the 1964 Junior Rose Bowl and was selected as an All-American.
While at Northeastern he married Louetta (Lou) Trickey in 1965. They had two children, Cynthia Ranae (Cindy) and James Andrew (Jimmy).
Fred graduated from Northeastern in 1967 with a B.S. in Education and Physical Education. For a short time after graduating, he played football with a semi-pro team in Oklahoma City called the Oklahoma Plainsmen. Fred also received a call directly from KC Chiefs head coach Hank Stram to come tryout for the KC Chiefs.
He coached football and basketball in Montezuma, KS, for two years. His former football coach at Cameron invited him to move to Lawton, OK, to be the track coach and an assistant football coach. The family moved to Lawton in 1969, where Fred coached and Lou taught in the local elementary school.
Fred was very competitive in everything he did. He worked hard and played just as hard, whether on the racquetball court or basketball court at the YMCA, where he would play with a group of friends on their lunch hour.
When surgeries to his back, hips and knees prevented him from playing basketball or racquetball, he took up golf, which was more frustrating for him. While most sports came easy to Fred, golf was a different story. Even though it was harder for him, he loved playing golf with his buddies and was on the course every chance he got. He eventually even made a hole in one!
Fred and Lou also enjoyed spending time with family and friends at their house on Grand Lake, especially the family reunions on July 4th and Labor Day weekends.
After his coaching career ended, Fred entered the insurance business, first with National Life & Accident before joining State Farm as an agent in 1971. He was an agent in Lawton for 53 years before his retirement for health reasons in November 2024.
His policyholders became his friends, knowing he always looked out for their best interests "like a good neighbor". As one policyholder would always say "When you go into Fred's office, they treat you just like family".
In 2014 Fred was inducted into Cameron's Athletic Hall of Fame.
Preceding him in death were his parents and brother, Harold Cheek, and his daughter, Cindy Box.
Fred is survived by his wife of 60 years, Lou; his son Jimmy and wife Chrissy of Bixby, OK; granddaughter Taylor Powelson and husband Kyle of Ottawa, KS; grandson Kellen Cheek of Oklahoma City, OK, step-granddaughter Kyleigh Sieler of Oklahoma City, OK, step-granddaughter Hailey Sieler of Wichita, KS, and step-grandson Johnnie Pickett of Bixby, OK; sister Reba Cook and husband Jim of Richmond, TX; brother George and wife Linda of Muscle Shoals, AL; sister-in-law Dixie Mitchell and husband Jerry of Tulsa, OK; former daughter-in-law Jennifer Gantz and husband Bart of Oklahoma City, OK; and a host of nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, October 31st, at 11:00am at Burckhalter-Highsmith Funeral Home in Vinita, OK, with visitation on Thursday, October 30th, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, November 14th, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm at the Lawton Country Club.
Arrangements are under the care of Burckhalter-Highsmith Funeral & Cremation Services of Vinita, OK. "Vinita's only locally family owned and operated funeral home."
Online condolences may be left on the funeral home website www.highsmithfh.com or on our funeral home Facebook page.