Obituary of Huey James Bussell

Huey James Bussell, age 77, passed away on Monday, February 1, 2021, in Ardmore, Okla. A graveside memorial will be held at 2:00 pm, Friday, February 26, 2021, in Hillcrest Memorial Park of Ardmore with Pastor Rhonda Howard officiating. Services under the direction of Griffin~Hillcrest Funeral Home. Huey was born on January 14, 1944, to Howard J Bussell Sr. and Oleva (Whitson) Bussell on the Bussell Family property in Carter County, Okla. He married Eunice Louise Smith on December 14, 1964. Huey enlisted in the United States Army in 1967. He was stationed at Fort Hood Army Base in Killeen, Texas, and received an Honorable Discharge in 1969. He returned to Ardmore, where he started his 45 year career at the Bell Refinery in Maintenance as a Carpenter. In 1978, he was promoted to the the Instrument/Electric shop as a Technician where he worked until he transferred to the Lab in1996. He retired from the Valero Ardmore Refinery in 2009 and then continued to work part-time teaching Instrument Training Courses at SOTC. Huey built his first house on the family property with his wife, Eunice, and raised their three daughters, Valarie, Michelle, and Shalane. He also owned a small cattle farm that his daughters helped with when they were younger, and he had recently been teaching his great-grandson, Camaron, about raising cattle. He enjoyed riding his John Deere tractor around his property. His late wife had owned a pet grooming business and he took care of the finances for it. He would sometimes travel with her and their best friends, Jerry and Gerald Been and their sons to ISCC pet styling events all over the United States. Huey could repair most vehicles, appliances, plumbing, or electrical problems, and was always helping others on their repairs. He was also an experienced carpenter and did most of the remodeling in his first house and built the garage behind his home. He loved to fish and camp, and most of his vacations were spent at Lake Texoma with his family. After the passing of his wife, Huey joined The Lord's Church in Ardmore, where he immediately felt welcomed by the members. He loved attending the Sunday services and Men's Bible group and formed many friendships there. He was a kind and soft-spoken man, and always had time to answer a question or solve a problem, no matter how small. He was the “rock of his family” and will be greatly missed by his loved ones. His legacy and all of his values will be carried on by his children and passed down to generations to come. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Eunice L. (Smith) Bussell, brother, Howard J Bussell Jr., father-in-law, James F. Smith, and mother-in-law, Juanita L. (Justice) Smith. Huey is survived by three daughters, Valarie L. Bussell and husband, Ron Funk, of Ardmore, Michelle L. Abshire of Ardmore, and Shalane R. Wymer of Springfield, Missouri. Four grandsons, Cody, Aaron, Camaron, and Tony, and two granddaughters, Felicia and Elizabeth. Two great-grandsons, Konner and Kayn, and four great-granddaughters, Zaira, Elyse, Olivia, and Aeris. Brother and sister-in-law, Bobby and Barbara Smith, niece, Debbie Vinson, and husband, Kertis, and their children, Shelby and Joey, nephew, Brian Smith and wife, Valerie, and his children, Ryan, Tylor, and Dalton.