Billy Harrell Northcutt

Memorial service for Billy Harrell Northcutt will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, January 26, 2023, at the Smith Funeral Home, Anadarko, OK. Mr. Northcutt passed away on Sunday, January 21, 2022, at his daughter's home in Prairie Village.Mr. Northcutt was born on 12/3/1933, along with his twin brother, Darrell Northcutt, in Ada, OK, to William McKinley Northcutt Sr. and Mary Byrd Northcutt. He and his 3 brothers moved to Jones Academy at Hartshorne, OK when he was 6, and lived there until they became the wards of Thomas Gilcrease, the Oil Baron, at his mansion in Tulsa, OK at age 7. This is the mansion that is located at the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa now. He then moved to Muskogee, OK where he attended Bacone College, where he was a Golden Gloves boxer. He was also an accomplished artist who studied under Dick West, famous Native artist. He was on the Dean's List every semester he attended. But his biggest accomplishment was meeting a brilliant Kiowa/Apache girl named Polly Goombi, and became part of her family. They were married at the home of her aunt and uncle, Philemon and Leona Berry.After graduation, Mr. Northcutt served in the US Air Force in Kaiserslautern, Germany, where he received training to become an air traffic controller. After serving in the Air Force, he became one of the first air traffic controllers to become certified under the regulations of the new Federal Aviation Administration. He went on to serve at El Paso International Airport, where he became a part of aviation history. During the first hijacking in the US on August 3, 1961, Mr. Northcutt stayed at his post to reroute and manage all the air traffic in and around El Paso, to keep the area clear for the hijacked plane to land and refuel. As the plane landed, federal marshals shot out the tires so that it could not take off again, and they arrested the father and son who were attempting to take the plane to Cuba. He received a commendation from the FAA for remaining at his post and managing the crisis without any problems. He took a pay cut to transfer to the Lawton Airport so that he could take Polly back home when she was diagnosed with scleroderma, so that he would have the help of our family. Polly passed away in 1965. Mr. Northcutt bought the Elgin Bait Shop in the 1970's, and ran it for many years. It was a popular place to go, and he had lots of regular customers who came there for a good time. He then bought a gas/convenience store located on the way to the Wichita Mountains. He retired from the FAA in 1977 and moved to Wichita, KS, where he lived until 2014, when he came to live with his daughter's family. He lived in Wichita to be nearer to his twin brother Darrell, who lived in Derby, KS.Survivors include his son, Kenneth Darrell Northcutt, of Anadarko, OK; two daughters, Sandra Redbird and her husband, Patrick of Anadarko, OK, and Karen Northcutt Stroud, of Apache, OK; one stepdaughter, Darla Roberts, of Elgin, OK; 1 grandson, Darren Northcutt, and his fiance, Kendra, of Yukon, OK; 1 great grandson, Damon Teart and his fiancÃ©, Seretta Gonzales, of Anadarko OK; 2 granddaughters: Jennifer Watson and Jessica Williams and her husband, Martin; 4 great-granddaughter* Carma Watson, Mary Williams, Alecia Northcutt, and Ellie Williams; and 1 great-great-grandaughter who will make her entrance into this world in May; one nephew, Kelly Northcutt; his brothers-in-law: Timothy Goombi and Philemon Goombi; two sisters-in-law, Anne Nash, of Arizona and Revina Frank of Anadarko.He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers: William McKinley (M.C.) Northcutt, Jr.,Darrell Northcutt, and Charles Northcutt Campbell; 1 grandson, David Dylan Northcutt Henderson; his brothers-in-law: Marlin Goombi, Joseph (J.T.) Goombi and Herman Frank; his sisters-in-law: Alecia Keahbone Gonzales and Lillian Goombi Wilson; 1 nephew, Thomas Northcutt. Mr. Northcutt will be interred in a private ceremony Services are under the direction of Smith Funeral Home, Anadarko.Condolences may be sent to the family at www.smithfuneralservices.com

Billy Harrell Northcutt

December 3, 1933 - January 22, 2023

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