A great man and OU sports photographer passed away this week

[OUHoops]

This is very, very sad news.

Jerry Laizure, a photo journalist for the Norman Transcript — a very humble, gracious man, a great photographer and a real character — passed away on Monday. If you've been to OU basketball games, you probably wondered who was the crazy looking guy taking pictures under the goals in his Hawaiian t-shirt (in the winter). That was Jerry.

When we launched our home page here on OUHoops several years ago, Jerry very graciously supplied us with free photos to use every now and then. He also took the photo that you see on the masthead above this message board.

He will definitely be missed. Thoughts and prayers to his family today.

http://normantranscript.com/new/x983017705/Veteran-photojournalist-Laizure-dies

Veteran photojournalist Laizure dies
The Norman Transcript

NORMAN — Jerry Laizure, an award-winning news and sports photojournalist whose work was published in The Transcript as well as in newspapers and magazines and on Websites worldwide, died Monday after a brief illness.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Goodrich Memorial United Methodist Church, 201 Hayes Street in Norman with Primrose Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

“He may have been short in stature but he was an absolute giant among the state’s working press,” said Andy Rieger, executive editor of The Transcript and a friend and co-worker since 1975. “He was an amazing man, a first-rate journalist and a great friend but I think he was a better husband, father and grandfather.”

Laizure, 59, had worked for Oklahoma newspapers since age 14 when he fibbed about his age and began working at the Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise. He worked in Pawhuska before moving to Norman to study journalism at the University of Oklahoma.

He began working in the production shop at The Oklahoma Daily while at OU. He left the university to work at PennWell in Tulsa, briefly working on the team that produced the Oil and Gas Journal. He returned to the newspaper business after four months.

“He missed the newspaper business,” his wife, Peggy, said. “He just loved the excitement of it all.”

The couple married in 1972 and have three children and 7 grandchildren.

Laizure was a recognizable figure to coaches, police and firefighters. He was often first on the scene of fires and accidents. At sporting events, he often wore a Christmas hat when the season warranted. His truck had a candy cane antennae, which helped identify him as a member of the press.

Laizure left the university in 1984 to be co-founder and co-publisher of the Cleveland County Record, a weekly newspaper in Noble. The Transcript purchased the newspaper in 1989 and retained Laizure as the newspaper’s editor.

He was The Transcript’s senior photographer at the time of his death. His photos have been honored with awards from the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalist and Oklahoma Press Assocaition.

In addition to his wife, daughter Jennifer and sons Phillip and Jackson, Laizure is survived by three brothers and a sister. He was preceded in death by his parents, Cecil and Mary Laizure and a brother Robert, Cecil, and Michael.

 

[BigTime]

Sad to hear that. Thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.

 

[DenverSooner]

59 is way too young. I will be 59 before I know it.

 

[Mackie McNeer]

Thanks for sharing.

 

[badger]

Jerry was awesome. I had no idea that he passed away.

I once asked him why he was wearing a Santa hat one December at LNC. He said "So that I can get my TV time."

RIP jerry

 

[Shooterms]

Jerry was one of the nicest people I've ever met.

He showed me great kindness on a number of occasions.

I will miss his Santa hat and reindeer antlers on his lens when I shoot the A&M game next Saturday.

Not very many people are truly original. Jerry was.

RIP friend.