Albert Ray Zabel

Albert Ray Zabel, 87, of Water Valley, MS, passed away on June 10, 2024, in Oxford, MS.

Visitation will be at Cornerstone Funeral Home, 1830 N York St, Muskogee, OK 74403 on Thursday, June 13 from 1 to 8 pm.

Military Funeral Services will be held on Friday, June 14 at 12:30 pm at Fort Gibson National Cemetery, 1423 Cemetery Road, Fort Gibson, OK. (Due to the time constraints of the National Cemetery this event will begin on-time. We are requested to arrive no earlier than 12:20 and the event will conclude by 1 pm.)

Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, July 13 at 11 am at Edmond First Church of the Nazarene, 3001 S Boulevard, Edmond, OK. This event will allow for a time of sharing memories and fellowship.

Albert was born on the family farm in Texas County, Oklahoma, the first child of Edward Zabel and Lucy Morford Zabel on October 22, 1936. He attended the Adams, OK school system and graduated as salutatorian in a class of eight in 1954. He began college at Bethany Peniel College, now Southern Nazarene University. After two years he transferred to the University of Oklahoma. He worked his way through college by working at various jobs including sales at Sears and as a janitor at the Oklahoma State Capitol. During his college years, Albert met and married Sallie Newton on December 22, 1956, in Oklahoma City. He graduated with a BS in Business Administration in 1960. He completed the ROTC program and received a commission as a Second Lieutenant. He became a Navigator and served 22.5 years in the US Air Force where he retired as Lt Col at McChord Air Force Base, Tacoma, WA in 1983. While serving in the Air Force he completed an MBA at the University of Oklahoma in 1973.

Albert and Sallie were married at Lakeview Park Church of the Nazarene and were also active in the church throughout their travels. A church was started in their home while stationed in Goose Bay, Labrador. He served as the District Sunday School Superintendent while stationed in Panama. While in Japan he served as building superintendent to oversee the building of a parsonage for the church they attended. In addition, he served as treasurer at many of the churches they attended including 20+ years for Edmond (OK) First Church of the Nazarene.

After retiring from his service, Albert went to work for the Oklahoma State Auditor’s office, as a Supervisor of Computer Support and Auditor beginning in 1983. In 1991-95, he and his wife, Sallie, served as lay missionaries for the Church of the Nazarene in the Asia Pacific Regional Office, Manila, The Philippines. He was the finance officer. Upon returning to the states, he returned to the OK Auditor’s Office as a Petroleum Auditor.

In 2000, Albert retired from the Auditor’s office and served in the National Census. When he completed that service, he volunteered at the Oklahoma VA Hospital, worked with the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) as part-time scheduler and as a route driver picking up veteran patients and bringing them to the hospital and returning them to their homes for 12 years. In addition, Albert served with Gideon International.

He was preceded in death by both of his parents; his brother Robert Lee “Buddy”, and his sister, Edna. He was survived by two sisters, Patricia Powers (husband, David of Williamsburg, KS); and Peggy Keith (husband, James of Broken Arrow, OK).

Albert is survived by his wife, Sallie; daughters, Sheryl Lidzy (husband, Rusty of Water Valley, MS); Sharon Nichols (husband, Monty of Water Valley, MS); and grandchildren, Ian Arbogast (wife, Christy, and great-grandson, Oberon, of Fultondale, AL); Sydney Rice (husband, Chris of Tahlequah, OK); Shelby Nichols (of Oxford, MS); and Sara Nichols (husband, Greyson of Muskogee, OK).