A long time resident of Gage, OK Dee Fagala passed from this life to Glory on Monday, February 22, 2021 at the Shattuck hospital, after a brave battle with cancer. Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday, February 27, at 10:00am at the Gage First Baptist Church and will be officiated by Pastors Tim Hooten and Wayne Fagala. Burial will follow at the Gage Cemetery.

Daryel Dee Fagala was born April 1, 1934 at the Shattuck hospital, the second son of Melvin Fagala and Esther Molloy Fagala. Again at the Shattuck hospital at the age of five, Dee survived a burst appendix after surgery and treatment. Dee grew up in the area, farming with his family and attending school in Gage and Rosston, where he graduated in May of 1952. He attended Oklahoma A&M for two years. He married Mary Lee Voss in 1953. They were the parents of three children: Linda, Rhonda, and Wayne. Dee worked for many years in the oil industry, ranging from northern Montana to southern Texas.

On October 20, 1974 Dee married Nina Fitz in Shattuck. They made their home in Tyrone where their daughter, LaDena, was born. Dee worked for the National Helium Corporation, situated on the Cimarron River east of Liberal, KS for 29 years. He began employment as a shift supervisor and worked his way up to plant manager, the position he held for the last one third of his career. Sensitive to the sounds and "feel" of the plant in operation, and being a student of its various processes, Dee was able to offer a practical solution in plant shutdown procedure, saving the plant valuable time and great expense in startup costs. The solution involved a precisely placed valve which was named in his honor. He retired in 1992 and moved his family to their present home south of Gage. Dee was recruited by Air Products, who had purchased the facility, to assist their engineers, oversee modifications, and write a safety manual for shutdown and startup procedures. He completed this assignment in 1995.

In 1968 Dee was one of hundreds of workers in the helium industry across the nation who documented the current processes and uses of the inert gas with a future perspective. These documents were sealed in one of four stainless steel capsules designed in the shape of a helium molecule, located at the Helium Museum in Amarillo, TX. The capsules were to be opened on the anniversary date 25, 50, 100, and 1000 years later. In 1993 he attended the 25th anniversary for the first opening, and was especially pleased in 2018 to be present at the 50th anniversary for the second opening. His writings were not found in either of the capsules, but Dee took great pleasure in reading documents from past colleagues. Dee related to Wayne that in 50 years we will know which capsule contains his comments, "but I'll leave that to heirs or angels to discover."

Dee loved to hunt, fish, and camp with his brothers or Nina and LaDena, and passed that love of the outdoors on to his grandchildren. He enjoyed good country music, both gospel and instrumental. Dee believed in Jesus Christ as his Savior and studied the Bible. He read and listened to Bible teachers, both old and contemporary. He was a member of Gage First Baptist Church and had served as Treasurer and Sunday School teacher there for many years.

Dee is survived by his wife, Nina, of 46 years; four children, Linda Lunsford and husband, Jerry, of Guymon, Rhonda Atkins and husband, Dennis, of Hooker, Wayne Fagala and wife, Kathy, of Ardmore, and LaDena McLain and husband, Ronn, of Sharon; 14 grandchildren: Jerelyn Lunsford Atchison (Chuck), Dr. Jerod Lunsford (Alison), Dr. Gregory Atkins (Jessica), William Atkins, Jessica Fagala Kowalchuk (Kerzdenn), Whitney Fagala Ground (Jack), Adam Fagala (Sebina), Daniel Fagala, David Fagala, Mark Fagala (Katelyn), Gloria Fagala, SabreAnna McLain, Mia McLain, and Lee McLain; 10 great grandchildren; one brother, Lyle Fagala; several cousins including Gary Molloy, John Fagala, Darlene Lewis, and Lois Fessler; 3 nephews, Terry Fagala (Sherry), Jerry Fagala (Tami), and Captain Justin Fagala, Retired (Diana), 1 niece, Michelle Fagala Wilson (Matt), and a host of other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Melvin and Esther, one brother, Verlyn, two sisters-in-law, Mary and Carolyn, and one grandson, James McLain.

Serving as Pall bearers are all of Dee's grandsons: Dr. Jerod Lunsford, Dr. Gregory Atkins, William Atkins, Adam Fagala, Daniel Fagala, David Fagala, Mark Fagala, and Lee McLain.

Special thanks to Toni Robertson, RN, clinic technician in Woodward and Dr. Jess Armour, originally from Laverne, who practices in Oklahoma City, for their care and kind attention to detail.