Donald 'Don' W. Mayes passed away on November 28th, 2017 at the age of 83. He was born October 27, 1934 in Lonewolf, Oklahoma to Esther and William Mayes. He graduated from Edmond High School and attended Central State University in Edmond Oklahoma.

Don was a pioneer in deep well drilling, drilling one of the deepest wells south of Elk City, Oklahoma.  He started his oil field career in Farmington, New Mexico in the 1960's, eventually making his way back to Oklahoma where he worked for Helmrich and Payne for 17 years.  He started horizontally drilling wells in Texas, prior to the technology coming to Oklahoma. He started consulting in the late 70's for Meridian Oil and Burlington Resources, just to name a couple.  He retired in 1998 only to be asked to come out of retirement to horizontally drill a well near Piedmont, Oklahoma at the age of 75, after finishing that well he retired permanently.

Don is preceded in death by one son Johnny Jones; one brother William "Buddy" Mayes; six sisters, Gladys Newberry, Yvonne Kyle, Sylvia Chew, Jewel Brogden, Beulah Anderson, and Lovie Miller.

He is survived by his wife Billie Kenrick Mayes of Piedmont, Oklahoma; three daughters Linda Mayes and Shelby Stone of Greenville, South Carolina, Gayla Kennemer of Burns Flat Oklahoma, Sandy Chavez and Richard Cernosek of Albuquerque, New Mexico; one son, Everett and Shawnda Jones of Erick, Oklahoma, eight grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.