DeLyon Willard Nightingale

A funeral service for DeLyon Willard Nightingale, 93, of Oklahoma City, will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, in the Mustang Church of the Nazarene with Rev. Terry Armstrong officiating.

DeLyon Willard Nightingale passed away peacefully on November 29, 2025. He was born on October 4, 1932, in the Mennonite farming community of Alden, Oklahoma, to John and Ida (Froese) Nightingale. DeLyon was the middle of three children, preceded in death by his parents and his siblings, Mildred Thomas and LeRoy Nightingale.

DeLyon grew up surrounded by faith, family, and farmland—values that shaped every part of his life. He attended Oklahoma Bible Academy for part of high school and graduated from Alden High School in 1950. Though farming was always his first love, his strong work ethic carried him through a variety of jobs, including a couple of years in Fort Worth, before spending 25 years as a tool grinder at Delta Faucet in Chickasha.

He married Barbara Gage on May 8, 1959, and remained devoted to her until her passing in 1969. On June 23, 1973, he married Carol Vansant, and together they built a warm and joyful home until her passing in 1988. He was an extraordinarily loving father to their two daughters: Dr. Lydia Dawn Nightingale and Corrie Jane (Nightingale) Smithson. Corrie and her husband Zack blessed him with five grandchildren—Lillie, Luke, Isaiah, Naomi, and Elijah—who quickly became the center of his world. He also leaves behind nieces, nephews, and a host of friends and family whom he loved dearly.

In 2021, DeLyon learned through genetic testing that he was also the father of John O’Neal, born in 1958 and placed for adoption. Over the last four years, DeLyon and John formed a cherished and meaningful relationship that enriched both of their lives.

Faith anchored DeLyon’s days. He was always at church where he was a member of the Mustang Church of the Nazarene —volunteering, lending a hand wherever needed, and showing generosity with both his time and his resources. Hospitality came naturally to him.

For decades, he hosted Sunday lunches, welcoming friends, family, and anyone who needed a place to feel cared for. Lydia’s college friends adored visiting him and became regulars at his table, affectionately calling him “Papa D.” He loved making others feel special, and he did so effortlessly.

A lifelong gardener, DeLyon grew more than crops. He cultivated patience, gratitude, and a deep appreciation for simple joys. He kept a full garden nearly every year of his life and loved being outside—pulling weeds, chopping wood, “piddling,” or tending to his cattle, which he dearly missed in his later years.

The greatest joy of his life was his grandchildren. He talked about them constantly, bragged on them proudly, and loved to tease them—something they learned to return in full measure. They were his delight, his laughter, and his legacy. Despite enduring profound loss—the deaths of two wives and all of his immediate family—DeLyon lived with a tender, resilient heart. He taught his daughters to love deeply, to support one another fiercely, and to show up for the people who matter. His life was a testament to quiet faithfulness, generosity, and unwavering love.

He will be immensely missed. His legacy lives on in the children, grandchildren, and loved ones who will forever carry his example in their hearts.

Viewing for DeLyon will be held Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at Ferguson Funeral Home from 2:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. with the family receiving friends from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.

DeLyon’s funeral service will be recorded and uploaded to our website in the days following the service, please check back at a later time to watch it here Ferguson Funeral Home | Chickasha, OK.

Interment will be held in the Fort Cobb Cemetery under the direction of Ferguson Funeral Home.