Dr. Rebecca P. "Becky" York

Dr. Rebecca P. “Becky” York, 79, passed away at her home in Midlothian, Texas on Thursday, December 2, 2021. The family will host a visitation from 2:00 – 4:00 PM Sunday, December 5, 2021 at the funeral home and a graveside service will be 2:00 PM Monday, December 6, 2021 at the Altus City Cemetery. Burial and arrangements are under the care of the Kincannon Funeral Home and Cremation Service.

Rebecca “Becky” P. Reynolds was born in Altus on December 17, 1941 to Nora and C.T. Reynolds. She married Jimmie Lee “Jim” York on February 17, 1962 in Oklahoma City. Rebecca was the youngest of 8 children and was the only one to be born in a hospital. She grew up in Jackson County helping her family pick cotton. In high school, Becky was a starter on the basketball team her freshman through senior years. In 1959, at the age of 17, she graduated from Friendship High School and moved to Oklahoma City. She lived at the YWCA, graduated business school and worked for an oil company as a secretary. She met Jim York at a YMCA dance and they married in 1962. Over the next 14 years, Becky was a military wife and was raising 3 children. But in 1976, she decided to go back to school. Becky’s list of academic accomplishments are extensive, including a bachelor’s degree, two master’s degrees and a Doctorate in Educational Administration, Curriculum and Supervision from the University of Oklahoma. In 1980 she started teaching English but over the years she also taught AP English, Creative Writing, Yearbook, and Journalism both at the Junior High and High School levels. In 1998 Becky became Assistant Principal at Altus High School, and from 1999-2006, she served as Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Federal Grants at the Altus Board of Education while also overseeing many of the school districts other programs. Once Becky had earned her doctorate, she started teaching adjunct, on-line and in person classes at the University of Oklahoma, and at the University of Texas at Arlington. Becky also developed and presented academic workshops on the local, state and national levels. She accumulated a portfolio of over $4.5 million in funding from her grant writing, and she was a published author. She served on numerous boards including Rose State College’s CLC Senior Advisory Board, the Lawton Fort Sill Art Council and the Mid-Del Art Guild. Becky was also a member of Altus Rotary. She always told us that the most rewarding part of her career was being in the classroom with the students. Becky also had many hobbies. She took great pleasure in teaching Sunday School and singing in the church choir. She loved gardening, knitting, quilting, sewing, painting, visiting museums, and researching family history. She was very proud to have lineage from the Cherokee Nation on her mother’s side, and her grandfather, Levi Hines was a Texas Ranger. But Becky would tell you her greatest accomplishment in life was the LOVE of her family and sharing God’s love with them. She was a long time member of First Baptist Church, Altus and then the First United Methodist Church in Choctaw, OK where she belonged to the women’s group. She loved spending her time, talents and money to help others.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jim; her parents, C.T. and Nora Reynolds; and her son-in-law, Jim Gover. She was also preceded in death by 7 siblings, Lawrence Reynolds, Pete Reynolds, Earl Reynolds, Virginia Reynolds Stuchell, Ruby Reynolds Bjoralt, Frances Reynolds Reike, and Eva Reynolds Bryan.

Rebecca is survived by her children, Catherine Gover, of Altus, Steven York and wife, Ginger, of Oklahoma City, and Teresa Heims and husband, Jason, of Midlothian, TX; grandchildren, Rachel Gover Gonzales and husband, DJ, Morgan Gover, Taylor Taylor and husband, Matt, Allison Ferris and husband, Shaun, Anthony Heims, and Levi Heims; and great-grandchildren, Lilly and Willow, Grayson and Preston, and Tommy, Kol, and Kyndal; two sisters-in-law, Helen Heidel and husband, Clyde, and Betty Bogle; and many nieces and nephews that were much loved.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the First United Methodist Women’s Group,
1200 N. Choctaw Road in Choctaw, OK 73020

Online tributes may be made at kincannonfuneralhome.com