Neil Wayne Corn Obituary

Neil Wayne Corn was born on April 10,1948 to Herbert and Velma (Koert) Corn, in El Reno, Oklahoma, the youngest of five children, and he entered eternal rest on August 7, 2026 at his home in Sapulpa, Ok. He grew up in El Reno, attending school there from elementary through high school. He played football for the Indians, and he graduated from El Reno High School in 1966. For the next six years, Neil served in the Oklahoma National Guard.

It wasn’t long before Neil’s love of cars (especially his 1969 Corvette) led him to what would become his long-term career. He worked in many phases of car dealership operations, but primarily in the finance department, becoming finance manager for several dealerships in the Tulsa area. By the mid 1980’s, Neil had become the vice-president of the Auto Marketing Network of Tulsa. This led to his moving to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, for a one-year stint in 1988-89 before returning to Oklahoma.

Perhaps the most important decision Neil made while working at the Auto Marketing Network happened in 1993, when a pretty young woman came in to apply for a job. Neil hired her, and then spent a year working up to asking her for a date. Her name was Juanita, and she and Neil were together for the next 32 years.

Neil later became a partner in a car lot business where he worked until his retirement from the auto business. He did not retire from work, however. He became an owner/operator for FedEx. His family jokingly called him a drug dealer, because one of his primary routes was to pick up medical supplies and drugs from warehouses and shipping receivers and deliver them to several pharmacies daily. His friendly and warmhearted personality helped him get to know the people he served in all of his work experiences.

Neil’s greatest joy was watching his family grow and succeed. He was an avid OU fan, so he was thrilled when his daughter, Michele, earned a music scholarship to play for the Pride of Oklahoma. Michele recalls fondly that having her dad come to the OU games he loved and watch her march on the football field was awesome. She knew where he sat and she could always see him in the stands with his binoculars, which brought her such joy knowing that he was enjoying himself, and that he was proud of her. Some of Neil’s happiest years were spent on his 10-acre home in Glenpool where he raised horses (at one time having 16 horses) and watched his children learn about caring for them. His son recalls that on this acreage his dad could always figure out a way to repair or build something from scrap materials found around their farm. Channing credits his dad with instilling in him that “I’ll figure out how to do it” attitude, as well as a strong work ethic learned from feeding horses and breaking ice at 4:30 a.m., both of which serve him in his life today. Neil’s daughter Nikki also says she treasures memories of being her dad’s “little shadow” in her matching overalls, pretending to do whatever he did. She says her dad could make ordinary things magical in her eyes. He turned the horse walker into a swing, and the horse trough into their very own swimming pool. Nikki says that her memories of those simpler days remind her of the feeling that there was no better place than by her daddy’s side.

Neil was very involved in the Jenks Roundup Club, where he helped and mentored young riders. He taught them not only about riding, but also about caring for the horses. He could be seen at any given time teaching young people how to repair bridles, and maintain other equipment to keep their horses healthy and safe.

Neil was preceded in death by his parents, Herbert and Velma Corn; his brother, Melvin Corn; and his sister, Margaret Corn Peters. He is survived by his wife, Juanita, of the home; son Channing Corn (Karen) of Austin, Texas; daughters Michele Hawthorne (Josh) of Yukon; and Nikki Gates, of Oklahoma City; grandchildren, Makayla Rieger (Chris) of Battle Creek, Michigan; Darrell Gates, of Yukon; Danielle Corn, Leslie Corn and Sam Corn, all of Austin, Tx.; and great granddaughter, Lizzie Mae Rieger. He is also survived by brothers Leroy Corn (Charlotte) of Guthrie, and Leon Corn (Betty) of Yukon; sister-in-law, Catherine Corn, of Liberal, KS; and brother-in-law Ralph Peters, of Union City, and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. He will be remembered and missed by all who knew him.

There will be a visitation from noon-2pm, Saturday, August 15, 2026, at Traditions Funeral Chapel, 35 S. Main, Kellyville, OK, 918-247-7373. Arrangements are under the direction of Traditions Funeral and Cremation Services in Kellyville.