Edward Louis McLaughlin, the original Christian family man and Granddaddy of Dad Jokes, passed away on June 14, 2024, at his home in Jenks, Okla. He was 86.

A graveside service is set for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 19, 2024, at Calvary Cemetery in Tulsa. A private family reception will follow at Fitzgerald Southwood Colonial.

Louis was the Granddaddy of Dad Jokes. He would often greet his family and friends with a mischievous twinkle in his eye and deliver the punniest of lines. Never quite deadpan, Louis couldn't wait until his audience got the punchline and was quick to laugh along with them.

Louis was born at home in Wynnewood, Okla. on September 19, 1937, to Oliver Dewey and Emma (Bayans) McLaughlin, the youngest of four children.

As a kid, he often sat on the front porch with his mama and granny while they snapped green beans, dipped snuff and listened to bluegrass. Louis went on to play the cornet in the Wynnewood High School band, where he won competition medals before graduating in 1955.

Growing up in Wynnewood, Louis began working at a young age for his father's grocery store, McLaughlin & Jackson's, sweeping the floors, stocking the shelves and learning business and customer service from his dad. When the store was sold, Louis got a job at the local funeral home during his senior year of high school. His experiences there served as the basis of some eye-opening and spooky stories Louis would later tell his daughters.

One day around 1952, Louis was out working in his front yard when the new girl in town, Rose Gwendolyn Martin, walked down his street. Gwen, who was in ninth grade at Wynnewood High School and a year behind Louis, proudly announced as she walked by that she had just gotten a "poodle" - short for the poodle cut hairstyle popularized by women like Lucille Ball. Louis, ever the jokester, replied, "Well, where is your dog?" They married a few years later on Sept. 16, 1955, and had three daughters: Terry, Diana, and Lori.

After Louis's daughters were born in Wynnewood, the McLaughlin's moved around Oklahoma as Louis worked to support his family. Louis spent several years as a traveling hardware salesman for Oklahoma Hardware and Belknap. His 12-inch thick hardware catalog was filled with every item imaginable and he knew exactly which page listed any item a customer wanted. The McLaughlin's lived in Sulphur, Poteau, Oklahoma City and Okmulgee before settling in Jenks in 1977. After moving to Jenks, Louis became the local Shelter Insurance agent and worked for 30 years to ensure the residents of the growing town were financially protected from disaster. Louis was a respected businessman who served as President of the Jenks Kiwanis Club and was an active member of the Jenks Chamber of Commerce and the Jaycees.

Louis became a Christian when he was baptized on March 31, 1972. From the time of his baptism, he was a faithful servant in the church of Christ. Louis served as a deacon and an elder in the Church, supported missionaries, and modeled the love of God in his daily life.

Louis was a self-taught handyman who checked out library books to learn how to remodel his family's home, including adding rooms and building a working fireplace. He enjoyed learning about his Scottish heritage and had the privilege of visiting his ancestral MacLachlan Castle in Scotland. Louis acted on his longtime interest in aviation by becoming a student pilot and enjoyed watching the airplanes take off and land at the airport near his home. Louis was also a prolific coffee drinker and could often be found sipping coffee with his friends at the Jenks Daylight Donuts or McDonald's. He was an avid Jenks Trojans and OU Sooners fan.

Whether he was entertaining his three daughters with a spirited rendition of the Flight of the Bumblebee on his cornet, playing the piano, or spinning Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass records, Louis's life was filled with music. At times, his wife and friends would ask him to compose melodies to go along with poems and song lyrics they had written. Louis was proud when his daughters each joined their high school marching bands.

Louis's easygoing spirit and "wacky words of wisdom" will be missed. Thanks to Louis, we know that the reason the chicken crossed the road was to show the armadillo that it could be done, and that according to dentists who repair enamel damaged by acidic foods, "there's no plate like chrome for the hollandaise."

Louis was preceded in death by his father and mother; two brothers, Oliver Dewey McLaughlin, Jr. and Garland D. McLaughlin; and one sister, Helen Vernie (McLaughlin) Green.

Louis is survived by his wife of 68 years, Rose Gwendolyn (Martin) McLaughlin; three daughters, Terry Kumor (Micheal), Diana Jeffries (Charles) and Lori Harmon (Richard); seven grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.


In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Louis's memory to Tipton Children's Home by visiting https://www.tiptonchildrenshome.com/