Cecil Alvoy Hurley

Cecil Alvoy Hurley was born on August 10, 1933, in Yantis, Texas, and passed away on October 23, 2024, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He was the son of S.C. (Son) Hurley and Gladys Dowdy Hurley, both of whom preceded him in death—his father in 2002 and his mother in 1976. Cecil graduated from Yantis Independent School District in 1951, where he excelled in sports; notably, his basketball team was the district champion in 1950. He cherished many memories from his time at Yantis I.S.D. and formed hundreds of lifelong friendships. One of his fondest memories in later years was attending the “All School Reunions” at Yantis I.S.D. 

Cecil was preceded in death by a stillborn older brother, Marion Allen, in 1931, and a younger stillborn sister, Deloris, in 1935. He is survived by his siblings: brother Jack D. Hurley and his wife Judy, and sister Linda Gail Hurley of Yantis. He was also preceded in death by his youngest sibling, Larry Hurley, in 2010.

In his first marriage to Wava Sue, Cecil welcomed the apple of his eye, Lisa Renee. She idolized her father and was a tomboy who loved following him around, imitating everything he did, from whittling to riding horses—sometimes even sneaking into pastures despite her parents' concerns.

In his second marriage, Cecil gained a son, Gary Wells, who was just six years old at the time. Gary turned out to be a perfect son and followed in Cecil’s footsteps, becoming a highly successful horse trainer, which brought Cecil immense joy.

As a child, Cecil dreamed of being a cowboy, growing up on an East Texas farm where he milked cows and worked in the watermelon fields. He joined the Army to explore the world but was stationed in El Paso, Texas. After two years, he realized it wasn’t what he had hoped for and returned home to find a job in the horse industry. He began an apprenticeship with Mike and Millie Leonard at their M&M Quarter Horse Ranch and later worked for J.O. Hankins and B.A. (Barney) Skipper Jr. His final position was with Harry and Honey Martin in Thompsons, Texas, near Houston, where Lisa was born.

In 1964, he moved back to Yantis and started his own training operation, Bar L Training Stables. By 1966, he had become an American Quarter Horse Association judge, holding judging cards also with the National Cutting Horse Association, American Paint Horse Association, Palomino Breeders, and Appaloosa Horse Associations. He was highly respected as a judge and was memorable to everyone who showed under him.

Cecil later moved to Denton and then to Marietta, Oklahoma, to continue his passion for training horses. One of his greatest joys was working with youth who loved to show horses. Many top trainers currently on the circuit showed and apprenticed under Cecil.

He also enjoyed outfitting his fellow horse enthusiasts by opening Hurley’s Horseman’s Pro Shop, and traveling to various horse shows to spend time with long-time friends and make new acquaintances. You could often find him sitting on the steps of his trailer, whittling a stick into a chain or a wooden cowboy.

In his later years, Cecil took up woodworking, crafting bowls, and furniture, excelling in this venture just as he had in his earlier pursuits. His talents were remarkable in anything he set his mind to, even as a self-taught golfer. 

Cecil’s whittling—what he referred to as carving—was intricate and imaginative. He would carve while sharing stories and offering his philosophies. He once told his daughter, “Carvings are worth more than whittling!” so he chose to carve while everyone else “whittled.”  Cecil is survived by his beloved daughter, Lisa, and her husband, Ricky Burchfield, of Yantis, Texas, as well as his cherished son, Gary Wells, and his wife, Lorye, of Overbrook, Oklahoma.

He is also survived by three granddaughters: Kristin McKinney and her husband J.D. of Yantis, Texas; Starla English and her husband Dallas of Comfort, Texas and Shea Jewell and her husband Jake of Norman, Oklahoma. Additionally, he is survived by five great-grandchildren, whom he kept up with regularly on Facebook: grandsons Trentin McKinney, Dobbs English, and Jett Jewell; and granddaughters Dylan McKinney and Drew English. 

A Celebration of Life Service will be held for Cecil, on December 14th at 11:00 am in the Hardy Murphy Coliseum in Ardmore, Oklahoma.