John Lee Compton

John Compton, known as “Big John” at construction sites and baseball fields, 87, of Norman passed away Friday, September 10, 2021. He was born June 16, 1934, in Apache, Oklahoma.

He grew up in Anadarko, where he was all state running back for Anadarko High School his senior year. He then attended Oklahoma University and Central State. He married Shirley Jean Wolfenberger in 1956. They had three kids and the funniest time period of his life started. His first job for 10 years was as a bricklayer “slinging some mud” as he liked to call it. He then went to work for Barbour and Short Construction as jobsite superintendent and then became construction manager for the last 20 years at the company until he retired. His life’s work is still on display everywhere in the Oklahoma City Metro area with thousands of buildings he built. Every time he finished a job, he liked to tell everybody on the jobsite, “See you on the next big job,” then he would laugh really big. Coaching baseball for his two sons was one of his passions while his family was growing up. His red 1969 Chevy truck was always loaded with baseball players in the bed of his truck in the summertime. His other lifelong passion was to, as he called it, “shoot the shit” where he would pick your brain apart with conversation and stories. Only one phrase best sums up how the family felt about their father, and it was “We were dealt a royal flush when we got him for a father.”

He was preceded in death by his parents, Otis and Ruby Compton; his wives, Shirley Compton and Joanna Compton; his son, John “Phil” Compton; his grandson, Josh Compton; and his sister, Anita Plummer. Big John is survived by his daughter, Karen Compton; son, Bruce Compton and wife Macy; his granddaughters, Stacy Swope and Shelly Lewis; great grandchildren, Landon Lewis, John Swope, Cataryna Swope; nieces, Cheryl Plummer, Jerri Davidson and husband Jeff.