Thomas Larkins

Tom Larkins, a valued resident of Ponca City, died Sunday, December 26, 2021. He died in the comfort of his own home from heart attack, pronounced dead at Ponca City Hospital. He was 86.

Funeral services will be held Sunday, January 2, 2022 at 2 p.m. at Ranch Drive Baptist Church with Dr. Bob Ryan officiating. Burial will be next to his beloved wife, Nila Ruth Larkins, at the Ponca City I.O.O.F. with arrangements under the direction of Grace Memorial Chapel.

Tom attended Ponca City Schools, and graduated with honors in Industrial Arts, Technical skill, good leadership and citizenship from Point Loma High School, San Diego, California with the class of 1953. He served in the United States Air Force 1955-1959.  He married Kathryn Hudson, with whom he had 4 daughters; Jennifer, Laura, Linda, and Judy. He divorced, and after a full professional career, returned to Ponca City and married his childhood sweetheart, Nila in 1996, who had been recently widowed, and again made Ponca City his home.

Tom graduated with a B.S. in Industrial Technology from California State Polytecnic University, in San Luis Obispo, California, after which he worked for a time at Pacific Gas and Electric. He moved with his family to serve as Operations Manager for Unevangelized Fields Missions (UFM) in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. He moved to the Denver Colorado area, and worked for Public Service from 1968-1994, as a IBM mainframe programmer. He designed and implemented the Nuclear Fuel accounting system for Ft. St. Vrain nuclear power plant, and twenty-five years later wrote the program to decommission it. After retiring, and moving to Ponca, he learned HTML and became a successful web designer.

Tom was spiritually born again as a youth, and was an active member in all churches he attended throughout his life. His goal was always to serve his Lord and Savior in any capacity he had opportunity. He loved to meet the needs of those he became aware of. He served not only in his church leading the music, but also supported the Gospel Jubilee in documenting their musical artists, and uploading all their events onto their website.

He is preceded in death by his father, Thomas O. Larkins, Sr.; his mother, Charlotte May Serl-Martin Larkins, his step-mom, Carmen Larkins, his sister Charlene Mary JoAnn Martin (Gibbs), and wife Nila Larkins. He is survived by his brother Lawrence Larkins and his wife Laurelie; his first wife Kathryn Larkins; his four daughters, Jennifer Ann Larkins-Ruby, her husband Kim Ruby, their two daughters Vanessa Forse and her husband Jonathan; and Charissa Ruby; Laura Bartnick and her husband Bill Bartnick; Linda Larkins, and her son Thomas Larkins; and Judy Larkins, her daughter Sophie Jackson, her husband Rob, their two children; and her son Elliott Larkins. He is also survived by Nila’s children Linda, Laila, Mary, and Richard, who he proudly said still called him “Dad”, and their extended family.

Online Condolences may be made to www.gracememorialchapel.net