Carl Wayne Lancaster
January 16, 1937 - June 6, 2018

Born January 16, 1937, Carl Wayne Lancaster was the son of Carl and Fern (Moore) Lancaster. Spending his youth in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow area, Wayne's favorite place to be was at his grandparents. It wasn't uncommon for Wayne to wake up in the morning and head straight to his grandparents where he would join them for breakfast and then help his grandfather on the farm. Once the work was done, the two could probably be found hunting together. Wayne was extremely fond of his grandparents and there is no doubt that they helped to shape him into the man that he became.

A graduate of Tulsa Union High School in 1954, Wayne loved music and played the trombone in the marching band. Quite an athlete, he was offered a spot to play baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals, but declined. It seemed that opportunity would take Wayne too far from his family and he just wasn't up for that.

Employed by American Airlines, Wayne had a long career as an aircraft mechanic. He worked in this capacity for several years, retiring in 1996.

Wayne married Shirley (Neasby) Lulka in 1972 and the two made their home in Broken Arrow where they enjoyed hosting and entertaining their family. When they were away from the home, Wayne and Shirley could be found all over Tulsa shopping. This might have been to find a garage sale or simply to let Shirley use her coupons. The coupons certainly allowed Shirley to save money on an item; however, it sometimes cost more money in fuel to get there! That didn't bother Wayne - he just enjoyed spending time with Shirley.

A wonderful husband and father, Wayne was also a wonderful grandfather and great-grandfather. One of the things that brought Wayne joy was teaching the grands how to ride a bike. He would get right out there with them and then he would hear from Shirley that he needed to be careful or he was going to get hurt! In addition to teaching the art of bike riding, Wayne also enjoyed playing hide and seek with his grandchildren and teaching them how to make different bird calls - some of the grandchildren can still make those sounds today.

On somewhat of a strict diet, Wayne was always convincing anyone other than Shirley to sneak him the good stuff. When sitting in his easy chair, Wayne often pretended to be asleep when Shirley began fussing at him. However, he was sure to give a little wink or smile to anyone else that might have been in the room.

A man who never met a stranger, Wayne has been described as social, playful and curious. He was always into 'something' and was pretty well interested in anything.

Wayne passed away on Wednesday, June 6, 2018 in Tulsa. He was 81.

Survived by: his loving wife of nearly 47 years, Shirley Lancaster; his sons: Chris and Joe Lancaster, several grandchildren, including Hannah and John David Lancaster, Sabrina (Daniel) Hall; many great grandchildren, including Kiana, Ty, Kerrigan, Piddy, Daniel III, Pj and Birdie Hall; and a great niece, Sarah Ruth Berry (Bryan Edwards Jones), who graciously helped care for Wayne and Shirley the last several years, and their son George.

He was preceded in death by: his parents; a son, Tim Lancaster and a step-son, Michael Lulka.

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