Graveside service for Dr. Lonnie W. Fuson were held at 2 p.m. Friday, April 18, 2025, at Sunset Memorial Gardens with Rev. James B. Graham III, pastor of Centenary United Methodist Church, Lawton, Okla., officiating.
Arrangements were under the direction of Becker- Rabon Funeral Home.
Dr. Lonnie W. Fuson, 91, of Lawton, passed away Monday, April 14, 2025, at his home in Lawton, surrounded by his family. Lonnie Warren Fuson was born on a hot summer day on July 9, 1933, at the family home, five miles east of Lucky Corner on the Milliron Ranch near Wellington, Texas. He was the son of Frank and Florence (Ivey) Fuson. The setting was an excellent place for a young boy to grow up. The Fuson family lived and rented the half section from the Milliron Ranch for 20 years.
Lonnie graduated from Wellington High School in the spring of 1951. He wanted to farm, so with the help of his father, Frank Fuson, he rented 100 acres of land and bought a Farmall H tractor. This resulted in disaster as far as farming was concerned. The next two years were extremely dry. At first the cotton “grew off”beautiful, but after a few weeks of a hot, dry wind and sun, the cotton looked like it was going to go back in the earth. If this was what farming was really all about, he had his share of it.
Lonnie returned to college in the spring of 1954, enrolling in Santa Monica City College in California. He completed the semester and received his “greetings” from Uncle Sam. He reported to the U.S. Army in Fort Bliss, Texas in July of 1954. After extensive testing, a group was asked if they would like to go to guided missile school. The missile program was an exciting experience and beneficial in later educational experiences.
At the end of his military service, Lonnie married Carol Thurman on May 20, 1956, in Portland, Maine, where Carol and her family were from. The couple attended Bethany Nazarene College in Bethany, Okla. In the spring of 1960, Lonnie graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. Lonnie was then accepted to the University of Oklahoma and earned a master’s degree in school administration. Carol continued working on her bachelor’s degree at the University of Oklahoma, earning a degree in business administration in 1962.
Lonnie received his master’s degree in the summer of 1961 and began working on a doctorial degree in school administration at the University of Oklahoma. While Lonnie was working on his doctorate, he taught science in Norman, Okla. from 1963-1965. He became an elementary principal in Norman in 1965 and later, became the high school principal in Noble, Okla. In 1969, he received his Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma and received an appointment at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Okla. for the fall of 1969. Lonnie held this position at Northeastern State University for 26 years, retiring as the Dean of Education in 1995.
Lonnie is survived by his three children, daughter Dr. Leighetta Sue Fuson, of Norman, daughter Dana Lynne Gracien, of Lawton, and son Lonnie Warren Fuson II, of Lawton; two grandchildren, Kimberly Lynne Leonard and Joe Michael Leonard, of Lawton; and a great-granddaughter, Peyton Ray Lynne Leonard, of Coweta, Okla.
Lonnie is preceded in death by John Fuson, Irene Harden, Lou Berryman, Ruth Cook,LtCol (Retired) Frank C. Fuson, Jr., Olen Moss and Betty Marin.
An online guest book and sympathy cards are available at beckerfuneral.com.
