G. BEAU SLEMAKER

BROKEN ARROW -- G. Beau Slemaker, superintendent emeritus of the Glenpool school district, died Saturday at his home after a two-year battle with cancer. He was 47.

A rosary will be said at the Hayhurst Funeral Home Chapel at 7 p.m. Tuesday, and a funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Anne Catholic Church.

Glenpool Public Schools will be closed Wednesday so that students and staff members can attend the service.

Slemaker was born April 24, 1956, in Tulsa to Margaret Ann "Peg" (Lombard) and R.W. "Sonny" Slemaker Jr.

Slemaker, who worked until three weeks before his death, was named Glenpool superintendent last year. He had served as the high school's vice principal and athletic director for three years and then spent two years as principal before being named superintendent.

Slemaker graduated in 1974 from Broken Arrow High School, where he starred on the wrestling team. He attended Southwest Missouri State University on a wrestling scholarship and graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1979 with a degree in education.

He began his educational career as head wrestling coach and physical education teacher at East Central High School in Tulsa. He was promoted to dean of students while coaching East Central's wrestling program to state prominence. While there, he earned a master's degree in education from Northeastern State University.

Slemaker had a lifelong love of wrestling, music and offroad motorcycles.

He is survived by two daughters, Carson Slemaker and Chandler Slemaker; his parents, Peg and Sonny Slemaker Jr.; two brothers, Jim Slemaker and Court Slemaker; a stepsister, Mimi Bradford; and a stepbrother, Rick Slemaker.

Friends are contributing to the Glenpool Public Schools Foundation for Academic Excellence, P.O. Box 1149, Glenpool, OK 74033, or to St. Francis Hospice.

Kathy Coley was recently sworn in as acting superintendent for Glenpool Public Schools after longtime superintendent Beau Slemaker was forced to take a leave of absence due to illness.

Slemaker, who suffered from cancer for several years, died Saturday, school officials said.

He went into remission and doctors declared him cancer free, but the cancer apparently returned.

"Glenpool Public Schools is saddened by the loss of its school superintendent, Mr. Beau Slemaker," Coley said.

In honor and recognition of his 25 years of service to education, and due to the significant number of students and staff who plan to attend the memorial services, the administration has made the decision to close school on Wednesday.

The day will be made up on April 16, 2004, a day originally scheduled as a snow day on the 2003-2004 school calendar.

Services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Anne's Catholic Church, 301 S. 9th St., Briken Arrow.

School board member Michael Thompson said Slemaker had been very ill and was currently on sick leave.

"We had to have a superintendent there and she's the deputy superintendent, so she will be acting superintendent," Thompson said, regarding Coley.

"She's invaluable. She's been there 27 years. We have the utmost confidence in her. I know she'll do a good job," he said.

Coley said she and Slemaker worked closely during the past couple of years, she said.

She said the most challenging aspect of her new job is not having enough time to complete every task.

She plans to work with the faculty, staff and administration to keep the school going as usual.

"I'm working both as deputy and acting superintendent," she said.

She said she has had offers of help from most everyone.

"Everyone has been so supportive. I've even had calls from surrounding school districts offering to help," Coley said.

Originally from Kansas, Coley has worked for the Glenpool school system for 27 years.

She earned a degree in English from Pittsburgh State University and a master's degree in school administration from Northeastern State University.

Her first year in Glenpool was teaching English at the high school level in 1976.

She taught English for one year and then became the school's business manager.

Today there are 145 teachers on staff and 2,200 students in the Glenpool school system.

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