Memorial services for Bruce Giddings Beerbower, 77 year-old Hydro, Oklahoma resident, will be held Friday, December 11, 2015, 10:00 A.M. at the First Christian Church in Hydro with Rev. Rick Dyson officiating.

Bruce was born October 3, 1938, in Modesto, California to Everett and Iva (Black) Beerbower and passed away Sunday, December 6, 2015, at Weatherford Regional Hospital in Weatherford, Oklahoma. Bruce was raised and attended school in Stockton, California where he graduated in 1955. He joined the United States Air Force in 1961, doing his basic training in Lackland, Air Force Base in Texas. He later went to Air Traffic Control School at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi for four months. Bruce was stationed at Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base when he met Marie Goodpasture Hamons, at Cordell. They were married on December 22, 1961. Marie brought four children: Carlisle, Carla, Debbie and Randy, to the marriage. Later, Bruce and Marie had a son, Monte.

Bruce worked as an Air Force Air Traffic Controller for 21 years. He served in many bases in the United States and throughout the world. It was a stressful job, but one he thoroughly enjoyed. He was an Air Traffic Controller at Tinker Air Force Base in the Mobile Communications Squadron, also known as the Mob Squad 3rd. He was stationed at Santo Domingo Air Force Base in the Dominican Republic for 180 days during the combat between the rebels and the terrorists. He then spent a year on the Azores islands off of Portugal.

After returning, he served at Elgin Air Force Base in Florida and Beal Air Force Base in California. He spent a year in Korea at the Osan Air Force Base before returning to Tinker.

During the Vietnam War, he was transferred to Korat Air Force Base in Thailand, before returning to Tinker Air force Base. In 1982, he retired as a Master Sergeant at Hill Air Force Base in Utah.

Marie died in 1975, while the family was living in Hydro. On October 10, 1976, he married Dean Gay. They spent their time fishing and working in Reno, Nevada. In 1983, they returned to Hydro, where Bruce worked as a handyman. He also mowed lawns, trapped moles and gophers, metal detected, collected aluminum, and spent many hours fishing.

Dean passed away in 2002. After Dean passed away, he loved watching his beloved (and often disobedient) Atlanta Braves and other team favorites, going to the Casinos, putting together jigsaw puzzles, and spending time with his friends and family. Memorials may be made to the Hydro First Responders.

Bruce is survived by two sons, Carlisle Hamons and wife, Pam of Colony, Oklahoma and Monte Beerbower and wife, Tammy of Bartlesville, Oklahoma; two daughters, Carla Wyatt of Hydro, Oklahoma and Debbie Propps and husband, Mark of Arkansas City, Kansas; one sister, Evelyn Klassen of Eatonville, Washington; eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, Damon and Crystal Hamons and children, Mason, Reno and Cora of Hydro, Oklahoma, Tess and Dusko Vukosavljevic of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , Caleb Hamons of Colony, Oklahoma, Greg Wyatt and daughter, Channon of Hydro, Oklahoma, Marcus and Jaime Propps and children, Morgan and Peyton of Arlington, Texas, Amber Propps and daughter, Drew of Arlington, Texas, Crystal and Clint Liermann and children, Carley and Henry of Winfield, Kansas, and Levi Beerbower of Florida; and numerous friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; both wives; sister, Norma Osborn; son, Randy Hamons; grandson, Clint Wyatt; and son-in-law, Ronnie Wyatt.