Roll Call Tribute

P. Larry Claypool 

August 21, 1939 - April 30, 2024 

P. Larry Claypool was born on a farm near Walnut Grove, Missouri on August 21, 1939 to Pearl L. and Altha B. (Coble) Claypool. He passed from this life on April 30, 2024 in Stillwater, OK. Funeral services will begin at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, May 4, 2024 at the First Baptist Church in Stillwater. Interment will be 1:00 p.m. Monday, May 6, 2024 in the Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Aldrich, Missouri. Strode Funeral Home and Cremation is in charge of the arrangements.

Larry grew up on a dairy farm between Dadeville and Aldrich, Missouri near the Dade/Polk County line. He graduated from Dadeville High School in 1957 as valedictorian of his class of eleven.

Upon graduation from high school he attended Missouri School of Mines (now Missouri University of Sciences & Technology) for two years then transferred to Southwest Missouri State College (now Missouri State University) where he received a B.S.Ed in 1961 with certification to teach mathematics and physics. He then enrolled at the University of Missouri-Columbia where he obtained an M.A degree in Mathematics in 1963. He taught math at Baylor University for one year then enrolled in the Ph.D. program in Statistics at Texas A&M University receiving his degree in 1967. He taught classes at both MU and TAMU as a graduate teaching assistant throughout his graduate studies.

He joined the faculty of the Department of Statistics at Oklahoma State University in 1967. He spent 40 years as a faculty member until his retirement in 2007. However, he taught classes 5 more years on the Tulsa campus of OSU. During his tenure at OSU he was recognized by the College of Arts & Sciences for his teaching abilities and his mentoring of undergraduate students. During most of his tenure he was supported part-time by the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station to provide Statistical Consulting Services to researchers with Station funded research grants. This meant serving on the Graduate Advisory Committee of those graduate students participating in the various funded research projects. He served on 500+ of these committees for Masters and Ph.D. students. Finally, he spent 4 years as department head of Statistics.

He was very proud of the years he spent doing statistics for Cowgirl Basketball. He created the first Career Record Book for the program in 1986 and maintained it for about 20 years. Lasting friendships developed with a number of these women who played prior to about 2000. More recently (particularly after retirement) he attended the various athletic events (high school and college) of the children of these women. He also attended a number of such events coached by these women. He also attended many of the athletic events in which his grandchildren participated over the years. He was an avid St. Louis Cardinal fan.

Larry is predeceased by his parents and former wife Jacque Roby Claypool.

He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Deb Marshall Claypool; his children, Mitzi Mattox (Rick) and Kristi Claypool; his grandchildren, Rachel Mattox Harrelson (Andrew), Robyn Mattox Woods (Jake), Clay Mattox (Brooke) and Autumn Mattox Coffey (Mark); his great grandchildren, Annalyn, Alexander, Sara and Matthew Harrelson, Isaac and Chandler Woods; and his sister, Phyllis Claypool Fennell. He is also survived by a number of cousins, nieces and nephews.

Condolences may be emailed to the family and an online obituary may be viewed by
visiting www.strodefh.com.