Harry Preston Marton

Harry Preston Marton, 85, longtime Stillwater businessman and community leader, died at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, OK on August 22, 2026.

He was born on September 18, 1940 in Lake City, FL to Alec and Marguerite Marton. He and his brother Jerry spent wonderful years growing up in Lake City, graduating from Lake City High School in 1958. Upon graduation, Harry was employed by the Florida State Department of Forestry where he was one of the initial employees to don the Smokey the Bear costume in educational efforts of wildfire prevention stating, “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires”. His duties also included redirecting manatees who had wandered too far up the fresh spring rivers of Florida.

Harry married Carol (Williams) Marton in August of 1962 to which their first daughter Shaun was born soon thereafter, and in the summer of 1963, the young family moved to Stillwater, OK where Harry attended Oklahoma State University, studying general business. Second daughter Tasha was born in 1967, and in 1971 their third daughter Layne arrived.

While at OSU, Harry became employed at Lloyd Daughtery Realty and after three years of association, purchased the real estate business from Mr. Daugherty in 1966, establishing Harry Marton Realtors which celebrated its 60th year of continuous business earlier this year. The Downtown Stillwater Association recently recognized Harry saying in part, “His office on seventh avenue was a familiar downtown presence … six decades in business represents a significant chapter in the history of our community”. Harry served as President of the Stillwater Board of Realtors in 1973-74. Harry had the honor of serving the Oklahoma Board of Realtors as President in 1987, and in 2013 was awarded Realtor Emeritus status by the National Association of Realtors. He was very proud to receive his 50-year membership pin from the Stillwater Board of Realtors in 2016.

In the 1970’s, the family came together to sponsor a mother and daughter from Vietnam. He helped set Xuan Kim “Spring” Nguyen and her mother up with a house, schooling, and every other necessity they needed to make Stillwater feel like home. The pair quickly became part of the family and remain so to this day.

Harry was very involved in his community as evidenced by his serving on the Stillwater Public Schools Board of Education from 1979-84 where he also served as interim President, helping shape today’s school system with the construction of the Stillwater Junior High School and Sangre Ridge Elementary School.

In 1983, he married Vicki (Herndon) Vaughn Marton, and they welcomed his youngest daughter Brooke, in 1986.

Harry loved and adored his thousands of tenants over the years, many of whom were away from home for the first time and were simply in need of a friendly landlord. He was most happy serving those in need and doing it with a big smile and hug.

Everyone who knew Harry knew how much he loved his daily card game of Gin with his friends each weekday during the noon hour for the past sixty years. Many passed on before and, without a doubt, welcomed Harry back into the game upon his heavenly arrival.

Harry is preceded in death by his parents; wife Carol; wife Vicki; daughter Tasha Marton Camacho; and brother Gerald. He is survived by daughters Shaun (Steve) Hickey, Layne (Rodney) Genzel, and Brooke (Jamal Williams) Marton; grandchildren Brandon Flaming, Bronson Flaming, Brock Flaming, Bryce Flaming, Ashlee Northern, Nicholas Camacho, Haylee Genzel, and Harlee Genzel, and great-grandchildren Asher Northern, Kenlee Northern, Mila Flaming, Laycen Collins, and Jaxx Collins.

A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held on what would have been Harry’s 86th birthday, Friday, September 18, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Dighton-Marler Funeral Home, 5106 N. Washington St., Stillwater, OK, 74075.