2010 Ray Schoonover

May 4, 1935 - December 22, 2012

Ray was born May 4, 1935 in Sterling, Kan., to William David and Juanita Gail (Wright) Schoonover and died Friday, April 22, 2011 in Enid.

Ray attended school in Ness City, Dodge City and Spearville, Kan., and returned to Ness City, Kan., and graduated high school. He entered the United States Air Force and served three years active duty and four years inactive duty.

On Aug. 18, 1964, he married Rita Pittman. He began preparing tax returns while in the military and continued his income tax practice for 40 years.

Ray served as:

National Big Hat President with National American Business Club (AMBUCS),
State President of Oklahoma Society of Accountants (OSA),
member in good standing with National Society of Accountants (NSA),
Enid Elks Lodge, Garfield County Red Cross, and
Society for the Preservation of Barbershop Quartets in America-Enid Chapter.

Ray attended Liberty Southern Baptist Church.

“Ray Schoonover was a ‘complete AMBUC,’ but even better than that he was a ‘complete friend,’ and he will be missed very much by every person that he came in contact with.”

The A.M. club was chartered Sept. 5,1975, and Schoonover was a charter member. He became president of the club in its second year. Under his leadership, Enid A.M. AMBUCS became the No. 1 club in the nation, with Schoonover bringing in five members himself during Branding Time, Clingenpeel said.

In addition to holding local offices, Schoonover held national offices, too. He was District 5B governor 1977-1978. He served as National Big Hat President 1982-1983 and helped raise more than $10,000 for the National Big Hat Club. He was Great Plains Regional director from 1989-1991 and went on to become the National AMBUCS president 1992-1993. In 2003 he received third place in National AMBUC of the Year competition.

In 1983, Schoonover spearheaded a local campaign to raise money for Oklahoma Highway Patrol Troop J Headquarters in Enid. His efforts helped raise more than $25,000, and in April of 1984, Troop J was opened in Enid and named after one of the first highway patrolman, Odie Haltom, who was a member of the A.M. club. Schoonover was honored by the state of Oklahoma for his fundraising efforts. In 1985, he helped raise money to build a handicapped-accessible playground at Meadowlake Park. He also was involved in the Amtryke program. In 2000, he set up Enid A.M.’s first Amtryke demo site at Eisenhower Elementary School.

Ray Shoonover Family in the WOF Lobby at the
CNB Center during the 2016 WOF Ceremony.

Information and Resources Regarding the April 23 Tornado

2010 Ray Schoonover