Obituary of Cecil Elmo Rasor

Cecil Elmo Rasor was born 28 Oct 1923 at his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Richard Arthur Rasor and Amy Orpha (Vanscoy) Rasor. He passed from this life because of double pneumonia on 15 Mar 2017 at the age of 93 in Arlington, Texas. His father died in 1927 while working construction on the Philtower building in Tulsa. His mother was a teacher and was known to have come to Oklahoma in a covered wagon from Ohio. He graduated from Will Rogers High School in the 1st graduating class, after designing and making his own Steel Guitar in wood shop. He continued to play a Steel for the next 50+ years for friends and at Shriner events. During WWII he was drafted into the Army Air Corps in Dec 1942 and served stateside until Feb 1946 when he was honorably discharged as a Sergeant. He was an airplane mechanic/electrician and gunner on B25’s and flew cover for the nuclear testing in New Mexico. While serving in Puerto Rico he earned the Anti-submarine Medal with one bronze star, Good Conduct Medal, Victory Medal and one Battle Star for the American Theater of Operations Ribbon. While on training duty he met his future wife, Wanda Lee London, at the USO in Amarillo, Texas. They were married on 16 Sept 1944. His son was born in Clovis, New Mexico and for him to pay for his wife and son to return to Tulsa at the end of the war, he had to sell his guitar to a music store. Cecil was an avid fisherman, hunter, Boy Scout Leader, as well as working hard at advancing his skills as a union Journeyman Electrician, as he became an expert High Voltage Cable Splicer. Currently, many of the buildings in Tulsa and Bartlesville have his high voltage cable splices in them, as well as several Oklahoma dams and other sites around the state. Cecil also was a Tulsa deputy sheriff and an auxiliary policeman for many years. As a marksman, he became a member of their shooting team and participated in many competitions. He was a 33rd degree Mason and was a very active Shriner in the Tulsa Scottish Rite Consistory, working at all the circuses and parades for many years. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Wanda and a daughter, Shirley Ann Bilyeu. Cecil is survived by his son Cecil R. (Ricky) Rasor, 5 grand kids, numerous great grand kids, and one great-great grandson, Ricky. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children at www.tsrhc.org. Graveside service 2:00 P.M. Tuesday at the Rose Hill Cemetery.