Former Kingfisher Public Schools superintendent Celo Jackson “Jack” Harrel - who served in that role two different times - died Saturday, Aug. 30.

He was 82. Services are 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, at Harvest Fellowship Church in Leedey.

Harrel served as superintendent at Kingfisher from 1985-88 and again from 1990-96 after a two-year stint as deputy superintendent of public instruction.

He was inducted into the Kingfisher High School Hall of Fame in 2015.

Harrel graduated from Leedey High School in 1961 and earned a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 1966 and a master of arts degree in mathematics from the University of Arkansas in 1971.

His service to Kingfisher included guiding the district through the worst financial period in its history, due to a combination of factors outside the district’s control.

Oklahoma’s oil bust of the 1980s led to the state’s first-ever revenue failure, which resulted in severe budget cuts to education. The domino effect led to a reduction in force for many school districts, including Kingfi sher.

But that also led to a number of changes down the road that benefited education and teachers… and Harrel played a big part in that.

He worked for the passage of House Bill 1017, which passed in 1990.

The legislation established a new, more equitable school funding system and mandated scheduled teacher pay raises, limits on class sizes and new education standards and qualifications.

Harrel’s dedication to public service extended beyond the school building and House Bill 1017. He was also a member of the Governor’s Education Reform Advisory Council, the Kingfisher Regional Hospital Board and the Kingfisher Chamber of Commerce.

His efforts earned him the Lifetime Achievement and Administrator of the Year awards from the Oklahoma Association of School Administrators.

Harrel’s nomination letter for the KHS Hall of Fame praised his “knowledge of financial issues, his professionalism and his appreciation for public education in the state of Oklahoma.”

“Mr. Harrel was one of the best ‘school men’ I’ve ever known,” said longtime KHS teacher Dr. A.J. Johnson. “He was the ‘gold standard’ that I continue to evaluate every superintendent by and, to date, no one has matched him.

“A truly great public servant and his contributions to the education community will be long lasting.”

One of Harrel’s hires turned into someone who would eventually hold the same position.

“He hired me back in 1992,” recalled Max Thomas, who was originally a middle school math teacher and eventually was superintendent from 2000-08.

Thomas was math teacher for a year, then the middle school counselor beginning in 1993-94, a role that also saw him turn into the acting principal mid-year.

“It was a pretty rough time,” said Thomas, who later became Gilmour Elementary principal for three years before taking over as superintendent. “There were a lot of things going on with middle school kids that a lot of people didn’t know about. We were dealing with some things that were unheard of. Never in Kingfisher had they gone through those dark days we were dealing with at the middle school.”

Though conversations between Thomas and Harrel may have been limited and brief, Thomas knew Harrel had his back.

“He let me run things and he was very supportive,” Thomas said. “You knew you had his support.”

Harrel’s wife, Jo, was a teacher at Gilmour Elementary before retiring in 2001. She passed away in 2024.

“It was a wonderful family,” Thomas said. “Jack was very well respected, not just here, but around the state.”

For more on Harrel’s life and career, see his obituary in this edition.