in memory Robert Naifeh Robert “Bob” Naifeh died July 25 following a brief illness. Born in Bristow, Bob was the eldest son of Lebanese immigrant Zeak Thomas, and Rose Homsey Naifeh. Bob attended Classen High School and The Military Academy of Oklahoma City before enrolling at the University of Oklahoma. He was called to duty in 1950 and served two years in the United States Army 52nd Airborne Unit at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In October of 1952, Bob married Jeaneen Eddie of Oklahoma City. The longtime Oklahoma City businessman began his career at the age of 13 when he went to work for Sooner Sales, the wholesale candy and tobacco company that his father founded in 1940. But once Bob learned he could double his pay, he left to go to work for John A. Brown as a shoe salesman at the age of 15. Bob will be remembered best as the face of Central Liquor Company, the wholesale distributing company that he and his father founded in 1959 after the repeal of prohibition. Central Liquor started in a small warehouse on West Reno with four or five vans to deliver liquor to retail customers. Bob’s older sister, Selma, was in charge of helping their father, Zeak, process orders and do the
bookkeeping while Bob generated sales and made deliveries. Later, Bob’s brother, Franklin Naifeh, would join the family business, and the two would become partners, growing the business into the state’s largest wholesale liquor distribution company. In addition to building Central Liquor, Bob was instrumental in starting other businesses, including Sooner Beer (1961), Naifco Oil (2004) and several commercial real estate companies that he ran with his longtime business partner, Jerry Gamble. Bob traveled extensively and kept a map of the world on the wall behind his desk. It served as inspiration for the many trips that he and Jeaneen would take over the years to Cuba, South America, Asia, England, and Europe. Bob received an honorary Doctorate Degree in Commercial Science from Oklahoma City University and was inducted into the Meinders School of Business Hall of Honor. He was a member of the Governor’s Round Table and former board member of St. Elijah Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church. Bob served on the Advisory Board for a recent
YWCA Capital Campaign, then in 2012, The Naifehs were Allied Arts Campaign co-chairs, reflecting a lifelong love of charitable giving to arts programs throughout the community. Bob was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Paul; and a sister, Selma Naifeh. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Jeaneen; a sister, Leilah Farha, of Wichita, Kan.; a brother, Franklin, of Oklahoma City; three sons and one daughter: Bradley and Valerie Naifeh, of Oklahoma City; Stan and Bonnie Naifeh, of Oklahoma City; Greg Naifeh, of Oklahoma City; and Darren and Jenee Lister, of Oklahoma City. He also is survived by seven grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Flowers That Do Not Whither Fund at St. Elijah Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church, 15000 N May Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73134; or The Robert Z. Naifeh Endowed Scholarship in Business at OCU, 2501 N Blackwelder, Oklahoma City, OK 73106.
Kathy Lee (Stracner) Jackson
Richard Coulson
Kathy Jackson was born Feb. 26, 1956, in Birmingham, Ala. She died June 21, 2013. Jackson graduated from Southern Methodist University with a degree in music in 1978. She attended graduate school at Oklahoma City University and majored in voice. She met her future husband, Peter, while he was teaching music at OCU. They were married Dec. 29, 1979. The couple relocated to Dallas in 1982. They had three children–Laura, Diana, and Peter Ryan. They lived in the Dallas area until 2002, when they moved to the New York City area. They moved to Birmingham in 2005. Jackson taught music for K-5th grade while in Oklahoma. While in New York, she taught music at a Christian school. She later taught history in a homeschooling co-op in Alabama.
Richard E. Coulson, 70, died at home of cancer May 9, 2013. He was born in Panhandle, Texas, to Carroll M. and Mary E. Coulson. After clerking for District Court Judge Alfred P. Murrah, Coulson became a professor of law at Oklahoma City University School of Law from 1972 until he retired, except for a brief time when he left to practice bankruptcy law. He served as dean of the School of Law during part of his time at OCU. Coulson also practiced arbitration law. After retirement, he became very active in working with Chief District Judge Vicki Miles-LeGrange of the Western Court District on collecting an oral history on judges of the Western District of the Federal Court of Oklahoma. Services were June 1 in the Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel at OCU.
Carveth Osterhaus Former Oklahoma City University professor Carveth Osterhaus died May 15 at the age of 75. Carveth and his wife, Kay Creed Osterhaus, developed the School of Music’s division of opera, music theater, and dance in 1973. Both Carveth and his wife graduated from OCU in 1963. In 16 years as an associate professor of performing arts, Osterhaus shared his talent, wisdom, creativity, and passion for music and theater with thousands of students.
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