Obituary of Darryl Ray Easley

Retired Sergeant Major Darryl Ray Easley went to be with the Lord on September 12, 2021, surrounded by friends and family. Darryl fought a valiant battle with cancer, but God needed him to serve in his army. Darryl was 67 years young. Darryl was born in Belle Plain, Iowa on June 10th, 1954. Darryl and his twin sister Cheryl were blessed with loving parents, Donald and Ruby Easley. Darryl had a large family, and he often regaled his family with stories from his youth. Darryl met the love of his life Jayne when he was visiting a friend in Oklahoma. Jayne noted an unknown person on her “turf” and flagged him down. They were married on November 14th, 1978 and shared 43 years of life together. Darryl was a devoted dad to daughter Jennifer and son in law Chris Tuttle of Sapulpa and daughter Jenny Lloyd of Sapulpa. Despite being a soldier and tough guy, Darryl had no problem being a “girl dad” and worked multiple jobs to ensure his children had everything they needed. He was loved by many and a stranger to none. He worked a multitude of jobs including Big 4 Foundry for 28 years, Sapulpa Public Schools for 18 years and Flight Safety for 8 years. He served in multiple branches of the military with a total service of 33 years. He retired in 2014 with a rank of Sergeant Major. He served in the Army 1972-1975, the Navy from 1977-1979, and the National Guard 1984-2014. Darryl was active duty from 2003-2014. During his multiple tours he traveled the world twice. Sergeant Major Easley served during both the Oklahoma City Bombing and Hurricane Katrina. He served our country thru deployment in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Desert Spring, and Operation Enduring Freedom. Sergeant Major Easley earned multiple awards and accolades including the Bronze Star and his most coveted, The Combat Infantry Medal. He loved his Combat Infantry Medal as he considered himself a lifelong “grunt.” Sergeant Major Easley loved sharing his wisdom with younger soldiers and was proud of his ability to “take down” the younger guys. Darryl was an exemplary husband, father, employee, friend, and soldier but the job he loved the most was being a papa. Darryl was papa to MacKenzie (Mack-a-doo) Tuttle, Morgan (Mo-Mo) Tuttle, Aubrey (Aubs) Lloyd, and Maverick (Mav man) Lloyd. He prized his grandchildren above all else. He attended all their events from choir to sports events with pride and even while receiving chemotherapy. He was on duty 24 hours a day. He found ways to support and protect his grandchildren that even their parents didn’t realize. He spoiled his grandchildren and considered them his reward for a life of hard work. Darryl impacted many people, but he was also impacted by many. He loved his friends, fellow soldiers, family, and what he considered extended family. Darryl was a Christian man and visited many churches however a church that was special to him was Pretty Water Freewill Baptist Church. Pastor Larry Tuttle who has went to be with the Lord helped build a love of the Lord in all his beloved grandchildren and was a dear friend to Darryl. He was amongst the many who Darryl would want to honor as having a special place in his life. We celebrate this great man and the rest he has earned.