Warren E. “Gene” Decker, 92, passed away peacefully in the presence of family and returned to be with our Lord on July 14 at Mercy Hospital.

Born on a farm outside Thomas, Oklahoma on October 23, 1933, to Ivern Lee and Lillie Mae Decker, Gene attended school in Custer City before continuing his education at Southwestern State University. He went on to graduate from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in veterinary medicine.

After working at an equine veterinary practice in Woodside, California from 1957 to 1960, Gene moved to Seiling, Oklahoma, where he established the first veterinary practice in Dewey County. There, he fell in love, marrying Anne Sheryl Hedges on August 30, 1961, at the First Christian Church in Seiling. Soon after came daughter, Darcy DeAnn, and son, Trey Lee.

Throughout his career, Gene, known to many as “Doc”, specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of lameness in horses and had several articles published in veterinary journals. In 1974, Gene was chosen to conduct drug research for Diagnostic Data out of Palo Alto, California and traveled to Ireland, England, Denmark and Sweden. After retiring from veterinary practice, he was fortunate enough to travel to Lexington, Kentucky for Tom Ward for approximately 10 years . There he would buy weanlings and then return to sell the following year as yearlings at the Keeneland Sale. He was a lifetime member of the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association, served on the Board of Directors for the Oklahoma Thoroughbred Association, the Seiling Hospital, the Brumfield Cemetery, and was inducted into the Dewey County Historical Society Hall of Fame in 2000.

Outside of his lifelong passion for working with horses, Gene enjoyed golfing, fishing, and watching his grandsons’ ball games. In his final years, he took great joy in welcoming two great-grandchildren into the world.

He is survived by his loving wife, Anne; daughter, Darcy; son-in-law, Robert Sanderson; grandsons Andrew and Ryan Sanderson; their wives, Morgan and Maddi, and great-grandchildren Lily and Baker Sanderson.

He was preceded in death by his father, Ivern Lee Decker; mother, Lillie Mae Decker; brother, Robert “Bob” Decker; and son, Trey Lee Decker.

Memorial donations may be made in honor of “Doc” to the Trey Decker Memorial Scholarship Fund or the Area Medical Foundation.

c/o Redinger Funeral Home

P.O. Box 236

Seiling, OK 73663