November 18, 1963 – September 19, 2024

The funeral service for Keith Wayne Tampkins will be Thursday, September 26, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Chickasha, OK. Interment will be at Fairlawn Cemetery under the direction of Sevier Funeral Home.

We did a ‘see you later’ to Keith Wayne Tampkins, a true friend and beacon of light, who departed from this world on September 19th, leaving behind a legacy of warmth and kindness. Keith walked through life with a gentle strength, touching the lives of everyone he encountered with an unforgettable grace. He was an advocate for his family and making sure everyone felt the love of Christ. He dictated his time and resources to making the world a brighter place. He loved all things centered around family which included a massive amount of basketball games, baseball, soccer, band, Fine Arts, Royal Rangers, FCCLA events, Steppin’ Out performances just to mention a few.  He was passionate about fishing, traveling, tribal culture, and giving to any need; as well as playing board games at anyone’s kitchen table. Keith found peace in many hours in God’s nature and creating masterpieces with wet clay in his hands.

Keith was born in Clovis, New Mexico, to Gilbert and Shirley Tampkins on November 18, 1963. The Tampkins family moved many times over the years but landed in Oklahoma where he gained a bonus mom, Peggy. He grew up with many brothers and one sister. He graduated from High School in 1981 with football being one of his main activities. He went on to higher education thinking he was going to be a hand surgeon then pursued EMT and found that trauma was not in his capacity for day-to-day livelihood.  Art specifically pottery became his passion and he graduated from USAO with a Bachelors in Fine Arts.  Later, while in the middle of a bachelor pad renovation, Cindy was introduced to him.  He married her on May 21, 1999, in Norman, OK, changing him to a father and husband all in one swoop. He gained a son, David (then the age of 5), and a daughter Kati (then the age of 6).  Soon after, Keith was able to get his master’s degree in Vocational Rehabilitation where he spent the remainder of his career helping those in need.   He worked as a VR Counselor with the State of Oklahoma, a trainer, and mentor for the AIRVRS Counselors, a member of the Bylaws Committee, an instructor/trainer for the TVR Institute at Northwest Indian College, and worked 18 years previously as a VR Counselor with Apache Tribe Vocational Rehabilitation. During their 25 years of life together, they had 2 more sons, Kaleb (born in 2002) and Jacob (born in 2003). He became a Papa for the first time in 2011 when Logan was born, again in 2015 with the twins, Emory and Ivory, and again this year with Nathanial in June. He adored his grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Shirley Kinney; his paternal grandparents, Margaret & Leonard Tampkins; his maternal grandparents, Lincoln & Lois Wilson.

Loved ones left to remember him include his wife, Cindy; his children, Jacob, Kaleb, David, Kaitlyn; his grandchildren, Logan, Emory, Ivory, and Nathaniel; his parents, Gilbert and Peggy Tampkins; his brothers, Jeffrey(Panita), D’Wayne(JoAnn), Bryant, Christopher(Cyndi), Joe(Suzanna), Brad(Dawn) and his sister, Jenise; and multiple nieces and nephews along with many great-nieces and great-nephews.

With Keith’s sudden passing, all of us will mourn but many of us will mourn differently with the hope of knowing that we will see him again with Christ.