Obituary of Paul E. Thornbrugh

Paul E. Thornbrugh of Tulsa passed away at St. Johns Medical Center on May 17, 2018, at the age of 97.  A Tulsa resident for more than 50 years, Paul moved with his family from Denver, Colorado, to Tulsa in 1966.  A Kansas native, he was born in Olathe, Kansas, on April 15, 1921, and spent the next nine decades distinguishing himself in every endeavor he undertook, as:

Patriot in the honorable service to his country during World War II, as a sailor in the U.S. Coast Guard in the Atlantic Theater on the destroyer, the USS Gordon, and other ships of war.

Public Servant as County Clerk for Anderson County, Kansas; member of the Kansas State Tax Commission; City Councilman for the City of Derby, Kansas; President of the School Board for Derby, Kansas; Board Member for the Catoosa Port Authority; and U.S. Commissioner for the Kansas-Arkansas River Commission.

Citizen in the Body Politic as County Chairman for the Tulsa County Republican Party; Presidential Elector for the State of Oklahoma in 1992 and 1996; Delegate to the National Republican Presidential Convention; and mentor to a host of men and women who sought his advice and counsel concerning political service to their state.  Hailed as “Mr. Republican,” Paul Thornbrugh also was known for his kind and civil discourse, and was respected by members of his own party as well as those he called “the loyal opposition.”

Businessman in Oklahoma’s energy industry with Phillips 66 Oil Company and Mid-America Pipe Line Company, which came to be known as MAPCO.  Paul was the founder of the first National Political Action Committee dedicated to business and energy policy.

Paul said that his greatest achievement was as husband to his high school sweetheart, Freda Mae Curtiss, whom he married on June 1, 1941, and embraced in an elegant dance together for nearly 75 years. As a proud father to four sons and grandfather to eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, Paul rejoiced in his role as “Founder of the Feast” and “Leader of the Band” while he provided gifts of love, opportunity, and confidence that can never be repaid.

Paul was preceded in death by his wife, Freda Mae, and is survived by his four sons, Curtiss E. Thornbrugh of Rindge NH; P. Thomas Thornbrugh of Tulsa; Fred D. Thornbrugh of Martha’s Vineyard MA; and C. Michael Thornbrugh of Broken Arrow.  Also included in Paul’s living legacy are his grandchildren, Ingrid Johnson of Walker MI; Gretchen Brau of Hastings, MN; Casey Thornbrugh of Amherst MA; Carrie Thornbrugh of Richmond VA; Adam Thornbrugh of Oklahoma City OK; Emily Thornbrugh of Tulsa; Mike Regitz of Dallas TX; and Scott Regitz of Tulsa.

The “Leader of our Band” grew too tired to play last Thursday. While his heart had grown too weak to sustain his body, the spirit of his life still courses through our veins as we all remain a living legacy to his memory. We hope that the God of our father’s faith will provide everlasting peace and joy, and that he can be at rest with the woman he loved his whole life long and who loved him in return.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m., on Wednesday, May 23, at Moore Funeral Homes--Eastlawn Chapel, 1908 S. Memorial Dr., in Tulsa.  A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 24, also at Moore’s Eastlawn Chapel.  A Memorial Service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, May 25, 2018, at Feuerborn Family Funeral Service in Garnett, Kansas, with burial following in the Garnett Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in memory of Paul to the Garnett VFW.