By BENJAMIN KLIEWER, Student Reporter
At 5 a.m., the Kilgore family rolled out of bed. Around 5:30 a.m., the cows were milked on the little farm in the Oklahoma Panhandle. After morning chores, the three boys headed off to school.
This was the routine of Dean Kilgore and his two brothers as they were raised on the family farm.
When not working on the farm, Kilgore played football, baseball and basketball at Tyrone High School as a young man.
In fact, all four years he played basketball, he made it into the Texas County All-Tournament team.
Kilgore has never stopped working — even at the age of 84.
“I think it’s good for me,” Kilgore said. “I think a person should stay active.”
Kilgore has been working on the Northwestern Alva campus since 1995, and he still greets everyone with a smile.
Not interested in in the lifestyle of a farmer, Kilmore worked at Starr Lumber Company.
He changed jobs in 1961 and worked for the Panhandle Eastern Natural Gas Pipeline.
After ending up in the Alva office, Kilgore retired in 1995.
Kilgore said one of the moments that makes him proud and grateful in his life is that, in 34 years of work at Panhandle Eastern, he only used six sick days.
Kilgore married Evonne in 1958, and they had two children together.
Kilgore has helped care for his family and his wife, who is battling health issues.
“When all the responsibility comes back to you and you have to take care of everything, boy, it gets to be a job,” Kilgore said.
Soon after retiring in 1995, Kilgore told his wife he needed to be active.
When he saw the job opening at Northwestern, he applied and was immediately hired.
In 2010, he earned the Campus Kudos award, which is given to employees who are recognized for their kindness and friendliness toward others. And in 2016, he received the Thelma Crouch Staff Employee of the Year award. The award is named after a longtime Northwestern employee.
Kilgore said he enjoys working as a custodian in Carter Hall, home of the nursing program.
He said he likes the university’s professors and his supervisor.
He still smiles at everyone.