Larry Clinton Hicks, 77, of Tulsa, Oklahoma passed away on Sunday, January 27, 2019.

The first child of L.T. and Veda (Webb) Hicks, Larry was born at home in Crescent, Oklahoma on October 21, 1941. Known also as Clinton to childhood family and friends, he and his brothers, Delvin and Lorn, grew up in Crescent, Oklahoma, where they made lasting friendships and memories.

Larry graduated from Crescent High School in 1959 and went on to pursue a degree in Zoology at Central State College. He was a graduate student at the University of Oklahoma and Emporia State University, where he received a Master of Science Degree in Biology. He was employed by the Oklahoma City Zoo as Curator of Large Mammals. He also spent many years as an educator. As a biology teacher, he taught at Yukon High School, Edmond Memorial, and Northeast High School in Oklahoma City as well as Dexter High in Dexter, MO. During his time of teaching he was named Oklahoma Biology Teacher of the Year, and also held the position of Science Curriculum Consultant for Oklahoma City Schools. Larry later earned a degree in Computer Programming at Central State College and taught computer programming, biology, chemistry, and statistics at Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma City until his retirement.

In 1970, Larry met Marcia Stout and they were married on Feb. 6, 1971.  Larry and Marcia had two daughters, Carrie and Emily, and was a longtime resident of Guthrie, Oklahoma. As a trained biologist, he loved nature, plants, animals and geology.  When his daughters were young, he enjoyed spending time with them outdoors. From teaching them to identify fossils to sharing the Latin names of native plant species, Larry was always encouraging them to be curious about and respectful of the environment.

Upon their retirement in 2000, Larry and Marcia moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma. During retirement, Larry continued his love of science as a volunteer docent at the Tulsa Zoo. He also volunteered at the Oklahoma Tallgrass Prairie where he enjoyed leading educational demonstrations.  He was an active member of the Tulsa Humanist Group, and the Great Decisions Group. An avid gardener and home handyman, he also took great joy in working on projects with his grandsons.

Larry was a friend to all and had the gift of being able to talk with just about anyone.  Family was of utmost importance to him, and he made it a priority to connect with aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends near and far whenever possible.  He has frequently been described as caring, unique and "one-of-a-kind".  He was an avid reader, gravitating to topics on science, environment, politics, and social issues. Larry lived and spoke his truth, even when it was at odds with conventional opinions. He was empathetic, kind, and generous. His favorite past-times were drinking strong coffee, smoking cigarettes, listening to NPR, researching genealogy, writing letters to the editor, reading the paper and working the morning Sudoku and crossword puzzles, talking on the phone with family and friends, and staying current with world events.

Larry is preceded in death by his parents, brother Lorn Hicks, and nephew Todd Hicks.

Larry is survived by his wife, Marcia; they would have celebrated their 48th anniversary on Feb. 6th.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by daughter Carrie Powell, of Tulsa, Oklahoma; daughter Emily Hicks Nys and her husband Steve Nys, of Duluth, Minnesota; Grandsons Alec, Connor, and Asher Powell of Tulsa, Oklahoma; brother, Delvin and his wife June Hicks of Crescent, Oklahoma and sister-in-law Sherry Hicks-Judy. Other survivors include nephews Clint Hicks, Kevin Hicks, Jesse Hicks, Kirk Hicks, and niece Tonya Hicks Jones.

He will be tremendously missed and remembered fondly by numerous family members, friends and former students.

The family requests that In lieu of flowers, Larry's memory may be honored by a contribution to the Nature Conservancy.

Friends and family are invited to come together in celebration of Larry's life from 11am- 3pm on Sunday, March 10th, 2019 at Highland Hall in Guthrie, Ok (1102 E Warner Avenue, Guthrie, OK). Please come with memories, stories and photos. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.