Rev. Donnie Veldon (Don) Bence, 85, of Piedmont, passed away peacefully on Jan. 3, 2019. His last spoken thoughts were of love and comfort for his wife and family. A public celebration of life service will be held in his honor at 11:00 a.m., March 9, 2019, at Eagle’s Crest Fellowship Church, 5956 NW 23rd St, Oklahoma City.
Don Bence was born on Aug. 16, 1933, in Dill City, to Clemon Blumer (C. B.) Bence and Verna Mae Bence. He grew up on his father’s cotton farm and graduated from Dill City High School in 1951. Don served two years in the Army reserves and graduated in 1957 from Oklahoma A&M College, now Oklahoma State University. Don married Daisy Marie Hennessey on May 10, 1957, at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Okla. City. He was later ordained there as a minster and continued his theological training at Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, from 1959 to 1962.
Don worked as an Oklahoma State Health Inspector, pastor of Cedar Lake Church in Hinton, and then served many years until retirement at Children’s Hospital in Oklahoma City. After retiring, Don and Daisy moved to Piedmont and he worked part-time for the Piedmont Gazette.
Don enjoyed reading with his wife by his side, watching westerns, visiting Abraham Lincoln sites and going to baseball games.
He is survived by Daisy Bence, his beloved wife of 61 years; and his two sons, Randel and Timothy Bence to whom he passed on a spiritual legacy as both serve in ministries in New York and Oklahoma. Don loved his grandnieces Valorie Daniels and Ruth-Anne McFadden and their families, his three grandchildren, Rebekah, Moriah and Joshua Bence, his great-grandchildren, his surviving youngest brother Verlon Bence, nephews Kevan and Kris Bence, his close cousin Mary-Francis and all the rest of his loving family.