Gepford III, Burton Darnell       

Burton Darnell Gepford III, born 1/13/39 in OKC and remaining as a lifelong resident, known as Darnell to his friends and family, passed away 10/18/08 and is now with the Lord.

His Oklahoma heritage began with his great grandfather, William Houser Gepford (who mustered out of the 116th Regiment Illinois Volunteers as a corporal at the end of the Civil War) and great grandmother, Nancy Jane Gepford (Hornbeck), entering Oklahoma during the 1889 Land Run.

Darnell's parents, Burton Darnell Gepford II and Maxine, predeceased him when he was a child, so his grandparents, Ray and Daisy Porter, raised Darnell on their farm in OKC. From a young age, Darnell stood out from the ordinary. He created riding lawnmowers from leftover equipment on the farm, earned his own car as a teenager and decided to be called Darnell since there were too many family members called Burt. Darnell was also independent and a fighter.

Darnell's spirit was constant throughout his life. He could use any material in his chosen carrier of interior design to meet his client's needs. He was also an entrepreneur who created several successful businesses. He was a landlord with 17 commercial and residential rental units and was a leader in interior design in OKC. He was also a furniture designer, an expert appraiser regarding antiques and art, a highly regarded art therapist, and a well respected artist with a unique style and unfortunately a repository of dumb jokes. His entrepreneurial successes were matched by his educational achievements.

After graduating from Harding High School, he attended the Kansas City Art Institute and School of Design, graduating cum laude from UCO with a Bachelor's in Science and a Master's in Education. He also graduated from OU with a Master's in Human Relations. Although his Crohn's prevented him from marketing his work at art festivals, his style was immediately recognized and sold by art dealers. Darnell had a great interest in his family heritage.

He was a member of the First Families of the Twin Territories and a Descendant Member of The 1889ers Society. Darnell is survived by his son, Burton Darnell Gepford IV (Burt) and wife, Patricia, grandson, Burton Darnell Gepford V, granddaughters, Ashley and Aubrey Dawe and 2 great-grandsons. The family will receive guests at the funeral home on Tuesday, 6-8 p.m. Graveside services will be 10 a.m., Wednesday, October 22, 2008, at Rose Hill Burial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to Odyssey House or Crohn's Disease Foundation.