Russell (Rusty) L Levings of Oklahoma City passed away on October 27, 2023, after a second bout of cancer, surrounded by his wife and two sons.
Rusty was born on July 16, 1947, in Blackwell, Oklahoma, to George A. and Helen A. (German) Levings. Rusty attended school in Rush Springs, Oklahoma, graduating in 1965.
He was one of the first men enrolled in Oklahoma College of Women, where he completed two years. He then transferred to East Central University in Ada for his final two years, graduating in 1969. He began his teaching/coaching career in Frederick, Oklahoma, where he taught English and coached football and wrestling. While in Frederick, he met his future wife, Carolyn Sue Cassidy. They were married on May 22, 1971. After marriage they moved to Moore, Oklahoma, where he continued teaching English and coaching football and wrestling.
He worked on his Master’s degree at Central State University in Edmond and graduated in 1977. While in Moore, their two sons, Brian and Chad were born. He obtained his principal certificate and his counseling certificate from the University of Oklahoma. He also taught and coached in Lexington, Oklahoma, until moving to Noble, Oklahoma, where they lived for 26 years.
In his spare time, he officiated wrestling, baseball and softball. After retiring from teaching, he worked at Belmar Golf Course and the Tinker Air Force Base Golf Course, where he was a member for many years. Rusty and Carolyn eventually moved to Oklahoma City to be closer to her work and eventually a grandson.
He was such a proud Papa of his three grandchildren. His other love was golf, he basically lived and breathed it. Rusty and his sons, in the last four years, traveled to each of the four major golf tournaments, ending with The Open at St. Andrews in Scotland in 2022. He had such a wonderful time with his boys.
In marrying Carolyn, he became an OSU fan, and has gone to almost all of the home games in the last few years. Anyone who sat next to him knew he coached and officiated each game as it was played.
Rusty is survived by his wife, Carolyn Sue Levings; sons, Brian (and Carissa) of Edmond, Oklahoma, and Chad (and Sommer) of Altus, Oklahoma; his grandchildren, Brody Allen Levings, Miller Emmett Levings and Lara Scout Levings; his sister, Joyce Ann Pennington (and Dan) of Purcell, Oklahoma; his sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Kay and Chris Cole, Michael Cassidy, Brent Cassidy and Michele and Quintin Kinder, all of Frederick, Oklahoma; along with a host of nieces and nephews and uncles and aunts.
He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Helen Levings and his in-laws, Bill and Marie Cassidy.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Noble Public Schools Foundation, PO Box 1111, Noble, OK 73068 in memory of Rusty Levings.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held at St. Monica Catholic Church, 2001 N Western Ave, Edmond, OK 73012 on October 31, 2023 with burial at Frederick Memorial Cemetery.
