Thomas Lee Annesley

Thomas Lee Annesley, 77, of Norman, OK passed away peacefully on July 21, 2024.

He was born January 10, 1947 in Norman, Oklahoma to Zita and Vester Annesley. He graduated from Norman High School in 1965 and started attending The University of Oklahoma before being drafted into the Army. He married Caren Brecheen of Norman on August 3, 1968. They loaded up the car the night of their wedding to head to El Paso, TX where Tom was to be stationed. After his service, he graduated in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from The University of Oklahoma. Tom and Caren welcomed their oldest son Tommy in 1972 and daughter Amy in 1973. Tom and Caren and family moved to Iowa in 1974 after Tom accepted a job with the U.S. Postal Service. There, their sons, Tim and Jeff, were born in 1977 and 1980 respectively. 1982 brought a move back to Oklahoma to be closer to family and take a job at Tinker Air Force Base where he worked for 25 years as an electrical engineer until he retired in 2007.

Tom had many interests. He loved gold prospecting and was an active member of the GPAA. He had dreams of going to Alaska and hunting for gold with his prospecting friends. He also loved working on computers and electronics all the way back into the 1970’s. He was always our first call if anything broke. Tom loved the challenge of fixing or building anything. He spent countless hours underneath cars fixing them with his kids and teaching them along the way. “DIY” was a way of life for him. He always encouraged his kids to fix or build things themselves. He got all three of his boys involved in Boy Scouts and loved helping them build pinewood derby cars. He was really good at that and his boys collected many trophies to show for it. All the activities and experiences he shared with his kids were formative in who they became as adults. One of his proudest accomplishments as a father and engineer was having three of his kids choose to follow in his footsteps and pursue engineering for their college education at OU. A dedicated Sooner through and through, Tom loved OU football and enjoyed nothing more than to hash out a game over a phone call whether we won or lost. In his younger years he worked at the OU football games selling seat backs and programs and throughout that time, he even got his boys involved in it when they were old enough to come along. He was also an avid movie enthusiast and loved everything from a rom-com to a good sci-fi film. Mostly, Tom loved gathering with his family for meals and events, especially if it involved fried chicken.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Zita and Vester Annesley and older brother, Bob Annesley. Tom is survived by the mother of his children, Caren Annesley; his younger brother and sister-in -law, Don and Suzanne Annesley, all of Norman, Oklahoma; sister-in-law, Paulette of Houston, Texas; son and daughter- in-law, Tommy and J.J. Annesley of Norman, Oklahoma; daughter, Amy Annesley of Boulder, Colorado; son and daughter-in-law, Tim and Taryn Annesley of Waterloo, Iowa; and son and daughter-in-law, Jeff Annesley and Kerrie Walters of St. Paul, Minnesota; his pride and joy, nine grandchildren, Jackson and Chloe Annesley, Chase and Owen Stallings, and Hudson, Cooper, Brooks, Knox and Violet Annesley; his nieces and nephew, and many loving relatives and friends.

Tom will be laid to rest with his parents in IOOF Cemetery, Norman, Oklahoma.