Terry Douglas Conn, 65, of Poteau, OK passed away on Sunday, April 10, 2011 in Ft. Smith, AR. He was born on May 6, 1945, in Ft. Smith to J. Russell & Allene Holton Conn. Terry grew up in Poteau, OK & graduated from Poteau High School with the Class of 1963. While in high school he excelled in academics and band, and participated in Boy Scouts, reaching the rank of Eagle Scout. He was a junior fireman for the Poteau Fire Department and worked for the Poteau Police Department over the summers while in college.
Terry graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1967 with a Bachelors degree in Business, and attended Oklahoma City University for one semester of law school before leaving to serve as a Naval Intelligence Officer during the Vietnam War. Later he obtained a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Detroit.
He joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1971 as a Special Agent. His assignments included Chicago, Detroit and Washington, D.C., where he was Head of the Budget for the Bureau. He retired as the Senior Resident Agent for the Ft. Smith FBI office in 1995.
He has held many offices of the Poteau Rotary Club and the OSU Alumni Association, where he served on the National Board of Directors. He was also a Trustee and staunch supporter of Carl Albert State College in Poteau. He was a consultant for the new Poteau Police Station and served on the committee for the new Reynolds Convention Center to be completed this summer. Terry was a rancher of Registered Angus Cattle for several years. He had a passion for reading, traveling, cruises, ballroom dancing, and sharing stories with friends and family.
Terry is survived by his wife Vickie Conn of Poteau, daughter Megan Jones and husband Gene of Dayton, OH, son Steve Conn of Summerville, SC, stepson Granville McAnear and wife Page of Dallas, TX, and stepson Dr. Garrick McAnear and wife Heather of Oklahoma City, OK; two brothers, Scott Conn of Oklahoma City and Chris and Susan Conn of Tulsa and one nephew and four nieces.
“Grandpa Terry” also leaves behind nine grandchildren who were the delight of his life: Evan and Matthew Jones of Dayton, OH, Sophia Conn of Summerville, SC, Amelia, Elise and Sam McAnear of Dallas, TX and Madi, Lynnley, and Bo McAnear of Oklahoma City, OK.
Services will be held 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at First Baptist Church in Poteau, OK with Rev. Phil McGehee officiating. Interment will follow in Oakland Cemetery, Poteau, OK. The family will visit with friends and relatives from 1-2:30 pm in the Family Life Center at First Baptist. Donations may be made to the building funds of First Baptist Church or The United Methodist Church in Poteau.