Alfred Wendell McConathy

Alfred McConathy, 84, passed away on September 9, 2026. A man of faith, family, and a wonderfully mischievous sense of humor, Alfred loved a good story, a good horse, a good football game, and, most of all, the people who made his life so full. A devoted husband, father, Papa, son, brother, uncle, and friend that gave his family a lifetime of love and enough stories to keep them laughing for generations. He loved having an audience and was often guilty of pulling pranks.

Alfred was born on June 9, 1942, in McAlester, Oklahoma, to Wendell and Chloteal McConathy. He grew up with his older sister, Maggie Testa, and developed an early love for the outdoors. As a boy, there was nowhere he would rather be than alongside his dad on their land in Tannehill, hunting, fishing, helping in the garden, and exploring. He also worked in the family poultry business, doing whatever needed to be done, especially delivering chicken throughout the area.

After graduating from McAlester High School, Alfred attended college in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, and then spent a year at Oklahoma State University. A cowboy at heart, he loved racing horses and riding bareback broncs in the rodeo. His affection for horses was more than a passing interest: for a time in Stillwater, his horse actually lived inside his house! Most people had house pets. Alfred simply had bigger ideas. He was always thinking outside the box.

On November 22, 1967, Alfred married Peggy Cosgrove, the love of his life and, occasionally, the unsuspecting subject of his practical jokes. Together, they built a family that meant more to him than anything in the world. Their daughter, Wendi, was born in 1970, shortly before the family moved to Frederick, Oklahoma. Their son, Billy Ray, followed in 1972.

Alfred joined the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in 1970 and served in law enforcement for 28 years. He spent the first five years of his patrol career stationed in Frederick, although McAlester was home for most of his life. After leaving the patrol, he spent another 13 years administering driver’s license examinations before finally retiring for good.

Of course, no account of Alfred’s career or his sense of humor would be complete without the story of Peggy’s driver’s license test.

When Alfred discovered that Peggy had originally received her license without taking a driving test, he saw an opportunity he apparently could not resist. He had an official-looking letter from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol mailed to her explaining that a review of the records had uncovered the oversight and that she would need to report for a test. Peggy studied. She practiced. And Alfred, fully committed to the prank, arranged for a fellow patrolman to actually give her the driving test.

Afterward, Peggy was asked to wait in a room for her results. Instead, she received another letter revealing that the entire thing had been a joke played on her by her loving husband.

The driving test was over. Alfred’s trouble was just beginning.

It was a practical joke for the family history books and one that took Alfred quite some time to live down.

Alfred enjoyed playing golf, drinking coffee with his buddies, and settling in for a good Western especially one starring John Wayne. He loved reminiscing about his younger days, racing horses, rodeoing, and the adventures that made for such good stories later. And while his education had taken him to Oklahoma State, his football loyalties belonged firmly to the Sooners. He held season tickets for more than 25 years. A year in Stillwater was one thing; choosing a football team was another matter entirely.

As much as Alfred enjoyed his hobbies, what mattered most was sharing them with the people he loved. He loved watching his son, Billy Ray, play football for the McAlester Buffalos, and he treasured their time together hunting and traveling to Las Vegas for the PBR. Those shared experiences gave them plenty of memories and stories of their own.

Alfred loved his daughter-in-law, Nikki, and was so happy that Billy Ray had found his match in her. In recent years, as Alfred and Peggy grew older, Billy Ray and Nikki helped care for them with love and dedication. Alfred was deeply grateful for their support and for the comfort of knowing they could count on them. Their care meant the world to him.