John Michael Imel

John Michael (“Mickey”) Imel

Born in Cushing, Oklahoma on August 4, 1932, to Arthur Blaine Imel, Jr. and Hazel Monett Imel, He passed from this life on Thursday, December 25, 2014. Mickey graduated from Cushing High School in 1950. He grew up loving to play basketball and football, and confirmed his life-long loyalty to OU football when he accepted a football scholarship to play tight end for the Sooners. He had to hang up his cleats his junior year when he broke his elbow in the OU-OSU game, but his undying love for the Sooners lived on his entire life. While at OU, Mickey was a proud member of the Naval ROTC. He joined Sigma Chi fraternity, which resulted in life-long friends and never-ending stories of his college days with his loyal Sigma Chi brothers. He graduated with a B.S. degree in Geology in 1954. He immediately joined the U.S. Naval Corp and married the “Sweetheart of Sigma Chi”, Patricia Anne Carney (“Patsy”). Mick and Patsy had four daughters, Blythe, Katy, Dixie and Sally. It was a frequent joke that Mickey never got his son, and had to develop great patience to raise his girls.

Mickey returned from the Navy in 1956 to attend OU Law School, where he was a member of the National Moot Court Team. After graduation, he worked as an assistant county attorney for 2 ½ years before being appointed Tulsa County Municipal Judge. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy appointed Mickey as U.S. Attorney. At that time, he was the youngest U.S. Attorney in the country. He was reappointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. One of his favorite memories of that job was playing in a 6-man football game with other U.S. attorneys, against Robert Kennedy and “the Department of Justice boys” on the lawn near the Washington monument. Mickey became a lifelong member of the Rotary Club in 1962 and served as president in 1968. In 1967, he joined the law firm of Martin, Logan, Moyers, Martin and Conway, which later became Moyers, Martin, Santee, and Imel, LLP. In 1981 Mickey was appointed by Governor George Nigh to the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents, and served as Chairman of the Board during 1987-1988. He had great respect for so many people associated with OU, and developed close, lifelong friendships with many of them. He loved his family, friends, partners, fellow attorneys and politics! Mickey was active locally and nationally with the Democratic party, and often laughed about debates with his Republican friends at the Round Table at the Tulsa Club, and later at the Summit Club. Mickey was a loyal friend and supporter to everything and everyone in which he believed. Mickey was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Patsy, his daughter Blythe Horton, his brother, Blaine Imel, and his brother-in law Blythe Carney and his wife Pat. He is survived by his three daughters and sons-in-law, Katy and Jim Hebb, Dixie and Kevin Coffey, and Sally and David Story. He has seven grandchildren, Katy and Gary Horton, Nick, Madeline and Annie Coffey, and Abigail and Kyle Story. He is also survived by his nieces and their husbands, Barbara and Allen Smallwood, Deborah and Alan Nelson, Cindy and Jerry Kreymer, Melanie and Ron Culver, Susan and Steve Swab, Erin and Mike Metz, and Merilyn Carney.

Burial will be Friday, January 2, 12:30 pm at Memorial Park, Tulsa, followed by Funeral service at 2 pm at Boston Avenue Methodist Church, Tulsa. Donations may be made to the University of Oklahoma Foundation,Inc.or the organization of your choice.