Anthony M. "Tony" Massad

Memorial service for Anthony M. “Tony” Massad, age 88, of Frederick, Oklahoma, was held at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, April 12, 2017, at the First Christian Church, of Frederick. A private family burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday prior to the service. A family and friends reception was held Tuesday evening, April 11, 2017, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Orr Gray Gish Funeral Home, of Frederick.   Tony found eternal peace on Sunday, April 9th, 2017 when he went to meet the Lord after a full and fruitful life marked by a remarkable devotion to God, his dear family, his country, and his work. Tony was born in Shidler, Oklahoma on June 15th, 1928, the sixth child of Mike and Adelaide Massad. Tony grew-up in Anadarko and Apache where he learned an ethic of hard work and service as a helper in his family’s general store. He went on to the Oklahoma Military Academy (now Rogers State University), the only cadet to letter in four sports for three consecutive years. He was All-American in football, and the Academy ultimately retired football jersey #13 in his honor. Tony graduated from the University of Oklahoma (OU) in 1949, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.   Tony began a lifetime of public service when he commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army in 1949. He was called to active duty during the Korean War, serving overseas with the 2nd Armored Division between 1950 and 1952. Tony continued to answer the call to serve when he attended law school at OU, where he earned a Doctorate of Law in 1955. He began practicing shortly thereafter as a “small-town, country lawyer” in Frederick, Oklahoma with the Wilson & Wilson Law Firm. In just four years, he was named full partner at the firm (which later became known as Massad, Evans and Kent). Throughout his career, Tony practiced mostly civil but also some criminal law and was known as a diligent and astute attorney, widely respected by his peers. Early in his career, Tony was admitted to the Federal District Court (1959) and served as Assistant County Attorney of Tillman County (1959-1965). He was a member of the Tillman County, Oklahoma, and American Bar Associations and was elected President of the Oklahoma Bar Association in 1989.   His career was a decorated one: most recently, Tony was awarded a 60-year service pin by the Oklahoma Bar Association and the Sovereignty Symposium Award by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Tony was also the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Oklahoma Bar Foundation (1989), the Neil Bogan Professional Award (1990), the Oklahoma Bar Center Award (1991), the Governor’s Award and Citation for Service (2003), and the Award of Merit from the Supreme Court of Oklahoma (2004). Of his expansive body of work, perhaps his proudest endeavor was his selection in 1998 by the governing body of the Cherokee Nation and the Secretary of Interior of the United States to form and chair a committee charged with proposing solutions to address the internal strife of the Cherokee Nation.   In addition to his law practice, Tony was elected to the Oklahoma State Senate in 1966, where he played a significant role in the drafting and passage of the Judicial Reform Act of 1968. As a result of his efforts on the Judicial Reform Act, Tony received the Outstanding Service Award from the Judicial Conference.   Although Tony’s professional life was marked by a legacy of good and much-lauded work, his greatest source of joy and pride came from his family. Tony married Mary Jean Rahhal of Weleetka, Oklahoma in 1950. Mary was the love of his life, partner in all endeavors, and mother to their three children, Cindy, Cathy, and Mike. Tony and Mary were married for nearly 67 years, a beautiful testament to their unyielding and sacrificial commitment to one another no matter the circumstance. Together, they raised their three children and poured themselves into the Frederick community. Tony was a dedicated Frederick citizen who worked tirelessly for the town’s well-being through several terms on the Frederick City Council and as attorney for the City of Frederick and Tillman County and Frederick Public Schools. He also served several terms as president of the Frederick Chamber of Commerce and Industry and as Special Appeals Court judge.   A devotee of the local radio station, he purchased KYBE and KTAT in the 1990s when the previous owner announced his intent to move the stations out of Frederick. Tony joyfully hosted a morning radio show for years thereafter, of which his children and grandchildren were the occasional special guest.   Of all his affiliations, member of the First Christian Church in Frederick was most important to Tony. His deep Christian faith propelled everything that he did. He loved the Lord and leaned on Him always, his devotion and discipline such that he read his Bible cover-to-cover seven times during his years of service in the Army. He was a lifelong member of the First Christian Church and taught adult Sunday school every Sunday for 49 years. He also faithfully served as deacon, elder, and chairman of the board and was honored as State Layman of the Year in 1972. The Oklahoma Christian Churches - Disciples of Christ selected Tony as a Lifetime Elder Emeritus.   In his 88 years, Tony lived a rich and bountiful life as a son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, attorney, and civic leader. He never met a stranger and gave generously and lovingly to all who crossed his path. Tony has been and will continue to be an example of how to live life in humble yet persistent service to God and man. He answered the call to lay down his life for the good of others and left the world mercifully brighter because of it.   Tony is survived by his wife Mary Massad, known as “Saint Mary” by her family for her selfless and unconditional devotion to her husband, children, and grandchildren. Tony is also survived by daughter Cathy Massad Bryan and son-in-law Jimmy Bryan of Dallas, Texas; son Mike Massad and daughter-in-law Cindy Massad of Norman, Oklahoma; brother Paul Massad and sister-in-law Nina Massad of Edmond, Oklahoma; sister Neda Margy of Fort Collins, Colorado; godson Malek Massad of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; grandchildren Matt Garrison of Moore, Oklahoma, Amy and Cory Goddard of Moore, Oklahoma, Ashley and Nicole Bryan of Dallas, Texas, and Cole and Cali Massad of Norman, Oklahoma; and a host of beloved nieces and nephews.   Tony is preceded in death by daughter Cindy Garrison; son-in-law Dom Garrison; parents Mike and Adelaide Massad; and siblings Frank Massad, Albert Massad, Imogene Naifeh, Fredericka Clancy, and Pauline Rahhal. Orr Gray Gish Funeral Home111 N. 11th StreetFrederick, OK 73542(580) 335-2112