Venton Wayne Latimer

Venton Wayne Latimer, age 83, formerly of Tulsa, Oklahoma and Waxahachie, Texas died peacefully at home in Granbury, Texas on June 27th, 2017.

Born April 2nd, 1934 in Lueders, Texas, the eldest son of Audie and Venton Latimer, a fourth generation West Texas family in the farming, ranching, and oil business since the mid 1800’s, he graduated from Lueders High School. Wayne attended Texas Tech University and Abilene Christian College and graduated with a degree in Economics and Biology. He was a member of the Tech College Club, the Tech intramural tennis team, the Varsity Fencing team, the International Fencing Society, and the Olympic Fencing Society. He attended Cerritos College in Norwalk, California for post-graduate studies.

Wayne was an FAA certified commercial pilot like his father and served in the United States Air Force at the end of the Korean War as an Air Traffic Control flight instructor and director. He was assigned for a period of his service to the RAND Corporation to work on classified commercial and military aviation and space flight projects for coalition air forces at the end of the Korean War.

His professional business career spanned 38 years in California and Oklahoma with North American Aviation Corporation and its successor companies, Rockwell International Corporation and the Boeing Corporation. Wayne was a system/contract analyst and a business development specialist on classified commercial and military aviation and space projects. He retired in 1996 and with his wife moved to Granbury, Texas.

Wayne met the love of his life, Mary Von Cobb, in grade school in Lueders, TX where they had their first kiss on the cheek at the age of 14! After going their separate ways for college and his military time, they married on March 10th, 1960 and moved to Anaheim, CA, where they had their only

daughter, Ann. The family moved to Tulsa, OK in 1964. Wayne was active in his church teaching many classes and enjoyed tennis, golf, and travel.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Mary Cobb Latimer, of Granbury, TX and his daughter, Ann Latimer Harlan and husband, Kevin Harlan, of Fish Creek, WI and Mission Hills, KS and his grandchildren: Abigail Harlan, Haley Harlan Mancuso and husband, Jerry Mancuso, Olivia Harlan, and Robert Venton Harlan as well as many loving and devoted nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at The First United Methodist Church in Granbury, TX at 10:00 am on Saturday, July 15th with a private graveside service in Abilene, TX. Memorial gifts and donations may be made to the Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center at the Baylor Scott and White Hospital in Waxahachie, TX or to the charity of your choice.