Oklahoma and the nation lost a great citizen last week, H. Jerrell Chesney of Shawnee.

Chesney, 88, was a leader in every facet of his life.

He was a straight arrow, an example for anyone who desires to become a good - or great - citizen.

He was born during the dark days of the Great Depression and grew up in difficult circumstances.

After earning a bachelor’s degree at Southwestern State College (now Southwestern Oklahoma State University) where he also starred on the basketball court - first team Oklahoma Collegiate All-Conference, he coached basketball at Anadarko High School for two years and then Shawnee High School for 10 years, four years of which he was athletic director.

Jerrell also earned a master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma as well as other post-graduate hours.

He was assistant Shawnee High School principal (1963-1967), assistant superintendent of Shawnee Schools (1967-1974), then went to Cameron University as the assistant business manager (August 1974-February 1975).

We knew Jerrell as chief executive officer of the board of regents for Oklahoma State University and A&M Colleges, a post he held for 16 years until retirement July 1, 1991.

All Oklahoma should applaud Chesney’s work for the board of regents. In our opinion, he saved Langston University.

Almost 50 years later, our memory of the events are rather sketchy but this is the way we remember them.

Langston had fallen into financial straits and the board of regents named Chesney to correct the problems. He did.

He worked to restore Langston while concurrently handling his duties as secretary to the board of regents. Dr. Ernest L. Holloway became president of Langston and served as president for 16 years - Langston’s longest-serving president, maintaining the stability of the school.

Chesney had an office in Oklahoma City where he would sometimes work all night before a regents’ meeting. He’d call his wife, Peggy, to bring him a fresh shirt. She would drive from Shawnee to meet him and bring him a change of clothes, then Jerrell would drive to Stillwater for a long day working with regents.

He never mentioned his long work days and he was always sharp as a tack. We never remember him complaining about anything or anybody.

The following serves as an example of the kind of man Jerrell was. He unstintingly donated his time to activities he considered worthwhile.

During his years as basketball coach in Shawnee, he was active in athletic leadership activities, serving on the Oklahoma Coaches Association Board of Directors, as chairman of the Coaches Association Save Athletic Committee, as platform speaker that transformed the Oklahoma High School Athletic Association to the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association and coached the All-State South Basketball All-Stars in 1964. He was active in numerous community and civic affairs, being past president of Kiwanis, serving on the board of directors of Kiwanis, the Salvation Army, United Way, Red Cross, Jaycees, Camp Fire Girls, founder and chairman of Sponsors of Worthy Endeavors, three terms as president of the Colt Baseball World Series and founder, organizer and several years as chairman of the Oklahoma-Texas Faith-Seven All Star Basketball Bowl, dedicated to supporting various charities. (Faith-Seven Bowl is celebrating its 54th year). He was named Shawnee’s Citizen of the Year in 1966 and in 1968 was selected and named one of the Outstanding Young Men of America.

From 1973 to 2006 he served in his church in a variety of administrative and ministerial positions. According to his views, he was driven “to serve the interests and purpose of the great Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ”, which to the end he felt “the cause of Christ is the greatest and most enduring cause of consequence, and reason to be continually grateful for the glorious gift summarized in John 3:16.”

In his last years, he was a member of St. Benedict’s parish where he enjoyed giving volunteer service to the St.Vincent de Paul food pantry as his health permitted.

He was a strong family man.

His obituary related this about Jerrell.

He loved Jesus Christ, OSU, his country, and Peggy and his family. He loved to play tricks especially on his grandkids as they were growing up. He would make up silly songs using their names, and he thought peanut butter cookies were the national favorite. He always tried to see the good in people and always enjoyed a good laugh. He was very generous to several charities and his family. Every year he and Peggy would personally write out birthday and Christmas cards with a check in them to his children, grandchildren and their spouses and to the great-grandchildren, up until this pastJune when his health significantly declined. It was important to them that their family knew that they were remembered.

Jerrell is survived by Peggy, his wife of 69 years; his sons Mitchell Allen (Joyce) Chesney and Mark Owen (Julie) Chesney and his daughter Marquita Chesney (Michael) Prescott and 12 grandchildren.

His obituary notes that he was born on Dec. 18, 1932, to Charles Earnest and Edna Geneva (Sanders) Chesney in the dark, devastating days of the great depression outside of Rocky, Oklahoma, in the farm home of William and Olive Etsell, who were kind enough to provide a place for his homeless family and in which his mother gave him birth. He was the fifth of six children.

On Aug. 4,1951, he married Peggy Joyce Bergman of Weatherford, Oklahoma.

Jerrell’s comments on subjects he felt important occasionally appeared in this newspaper.

Jerrell blessed our life and the lives of everyone he came in contact with.

Rest in Peace.