Walcie Oleta (Cobb) Van Winkle passed away peacefully July 17, 2026, in Arizona City, Arizona. Graveside services are scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, July 30, 2026, at the Noble IOOF Cemetery, entrusted to the care of Wadley’s Funeral Service. Walcie will be laid to rest beside her beloved husband, R.L.
Walcie was born December 18, 1933, in Tribbey, Oklahoma, and was the beloved daughter of Frank Cobb and Doxie Marie Bennett.
Walcie married the love of her life, R.L. Van Winkle, January 22, 1951, in Lexington, Oklahoma. Together, they shared a dynamic life that took them across Oklahoma, California, and Arizona.
She knew the value of a hard day’s work from a young age, picking cotton as a girl, to help her dad buy gas for the family car, and that quiet grit stayed with her always. As a hardworking team, Walcie and R.L. proudly owned and operated Van’s Family Restaurant, along with several other bars and restaurants over the years.
When they were not working, Walcie and R.L. loved to escape to the lake, sharing joyful days camping and fishing with family. After retiring from the University of Oklahoma, Walcie could be found listening to old-time country and western music or tuning in to watch the Grand Ole Opry. She also had a legendary sweet tooth and made sure never to let a day go by without enjoying a good piece of chocolate.
Walcie was preceded in death by her husband, R.L.; her son, Kenneth Duane; her parents, Frank and Doxie; and her siblings, Wanda Oneta, Bobby Joe, Margaret Marie, Billy John and Patricia Lynn.
Survivors include her children, Kathryn, Gayla and Gary, as well as a sprawling and beautiful legacy of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, all who will carry her memory forward.
In lieu of flowers, the family warmly requests that you consider planting a tree in Walcie’s honor, a living tribute to a matriarch whose own family tree blossomed so fully.