John L'Espoir

Johannes “John” Margaretha Mathias L’Espoir was born on February 8, 1945 to Johan and Anna (Bex) L’Espoir in Heerlen, Holland. He and his twin brother Harry, were the youngest of the eight children. His six older sisters, Miet, Trix, Mariette, Martha, Chert and Thea all acted as his mother – a fact that he never forgot. John received his degree in engineering and served in the Dutch army. During that time, he was sent to Enid, Oklahoma to train at Failing. There he met and fell in love with the switchboard operator, Sally Ann Daniel. After a trip to India, he returned home to Holland to gather his things and came back to Enid to claim his bride. They were married July 19, 1969 at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. John continued to work at Failings until 1992. That year, he opened his own company, Enid Drill Systems. He loved his work and was always looking for a better way to do things. His specialty was to take a problem and come up with a creative, custom solution. Many nights, he helped kids with their math homework and then met with the math teacher to show them his shortcut! John was a member of St. Francis Church, and Knights of Columbus Council 1044, where he was a past Grand Knight, St. Francis Men’s Club, and Assembly 854. He is predeceased by his mother and father, brother Harry, and sisters Miet, Trix and Mariette. John is survived by his wife of 43 years, Sally; one daughter Melissa Ann L’Espoir Atwood and her husband Steve; two grandsons, Ethan Daniel and Elliott John; sisters Martha, Chert and Thea and families, all of the Netherlands. His family was the center of his world. He was always thinking of them first and wanted the very best for them. John had the opportunity to travel all over the world for his work. However, he always felt that Oklahoma had the best people and Enid was the best place to live. The Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 AM Thursday, September 27, 2012, at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church under the direction of Anderson-Burris Funeral Home. Visitation with the family will be Wednesday evening 6:00 to 7:30 PM at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in John’s name to OMRF – Pancreatic Cancer Division, Circle of Love Hospice, or Our Daily Bread, with the funeral home acting as custodian of funds.

John L'Espoir

February 8, 1945 - September 24, 2012