Charles Clayton Stanford

1937 - 2025

Charles Clayton Stanford

December 28, 1937 - May 3, 2025

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Charles Clayton Stanford. Charles was born December 28, 1937 in Holdenville Ok to Clayton and Geraldine Stanford. He left this world for his next adventure on May 3, 2025 surrounded with love from his partner and family. We will miss him very much but are comforted by the great life he led.

Charles spent his early years at the soda fountain in the Stanford Family Drug Store. He played football and basketball at Holdenville High School and graduated in 1956. He then matriculated to Oklahoma University (OU) where he was one of five graduates in the third graduating class of OU's newly formed Petroleum Land Management (PLM) program. He began his career at Amerada Petroleum and later worked at its successor, Amerada Hess. During his career he also worked for and was Vice President of Land for both Calvert Exploration and Samson Resources Company. After retirement proved too boring he went back to work at St. Mary Land & Exploration Company. Charles served as president for the Tulsa Association of Petroleum Landmen (TAPL) and several terms on its board. His American Association of Petroleum Landmen service included board member for four years, Treasurer, 3rd Vice President, Chairman of the Ethics Committee (twice), Chairman of the Forms Committee, Chairman of the Committee that authored the 1982 Joint Operating Agreement and membership on the Long Range Planning Committee. He also served on the Industry Advisory Board for PLM program at the University of Houston and as Student Mentor for University of Tulsa (TU) Energy Management Program. Charles' 50-year career as a Petroleum Land Manager culminated in the TAPL 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award of which he was very proud.

Charles' extensive community service included volunteering with Head Start, RSVP's Court Watch, Tulsa Library Literacy Program, Reading Partners and Tulsa County Post Adjudication Review Board at Tulsa Juvenile Center. He was an Elder at College Hill Presbyterian Church where he also served as a member of the Personnel Committee and Chairman of Finance Committee and Stewardship Campaign.

Charles considered himself most fortunate in the love of three wonderful women. In 1960 Charles married LuAnn Tupper. They had three children and were married for 47 happy years until her death in 2005. In 2007 Charles married Alice Thomason and together they enjoyed five cherished grandchildren. In recent years he found a joyful and loving partnership with Charlotte Burton. Charles loved travel, college sports and was an accomplished chef and griller extraordinaire.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Clayton and Geraldine Stanford, and brother John Stanford; wives LuAnn Tupper Stanford and Alice Thomason Stanford; stepson Matthew Thomason. He is joyfully remembered and missed by Charlotte Burton; daughter Cary Stanford Epstein and her husband Michael Epstein; son Chris Stanford and his wife, Jennifer Mason; daughter Laura Stanford and her wife, Tammy Stanford; stepson Mike Thomason and his wife Kris Thomason and their children, Lucas, Maya and Ben; and grandchildren Ike Thomason and Cooper Thomason and their mother Amy Payton. These five grandchildren brought him immense joy.

Services will be held on June 21st at 2:00 p.m. at College Hill Presbyterian Church at 712 S Columbia Ave, Tulsa, OK 74104.In lieu of flowers, we ask that you donate to College Hill Presbyterian Church or the Kendall-Whittier Emergency Food Pantry.