Edgar Lobit, 82, longtime resident
of Guymon, OK, and professional photographer, passed away Monday
afternoon, December 27, 2004, at BSA Hospital in Amarillo, TX.
Ed was born December 18, 1922, in Phoenix AZ, to Edgar Lobit,
Sr. and Kathleen (Hogsett) Lobit. In the early 1930s Eds
family returned to the Lobit family roots in the area of
Galveston and Houston, TX, where he grew up until attending
military school at New Mexico Military Institute before entering
the U.S. Army in 1942. During his military service, Ed was
stationed at Fort Reno near El Reno, OK, which was one of the
Armys last operating remount stations. Ed was a horse breaker
and trainer and a mule packer and was deployed to India in early
1945 where he served until after the end of WWII.
In the mid-1950s, Ed studied photography at Oklahoma City
University and in 1958 he moved his family to Guymon and opened
Lobit Studio. Ed was a Master Photographer, Craftsman,
Certified Professional Photographer who achieved national
acclaim for his work in portrait photography. He was a Board
Member of the Professional Photographers of America, and at
various times during his active career was President of the
American Society of Photographers, the Rocky Mountain
Professional Photographers Association, the Southwestern
Photographers Association, the Professional Photographers of
Oklahoma and the Panhandle Professional Photographers
Association.
He was an Affiliated Jury Chairman and Photographic Print Judge
and served nationally and internationally in this capacity for
many years. He earned over 500 merits for his service to
photographic associations and to individuals. He also taught
photography classes and gave programs and seminars across the
country and internationally. Ed participated in the first
Cultural Photographic Exchange with the professional
photographers of China and exchanged ideas with Russian
professional photographers during his tour to Russia and with
Vietnamese professional photographers on his tour to Vietnam.
In connection with these tours, he said, It was truly a great
experience to meet the people and see the work of foreign
professional photographers. He received the National Award
from three different professional associations for services to
the Professional Photographers of America and to his colleagues.
Ed was a member and Trustee of the Victory Memorial United
Methodist Church in Guymon, and held many other offices within
the church. He was also a member of the Shriners India Temple
of Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma Scottish Rite of Guthrie, OK, the
Guymon Masonic Lodge and the Panhandle Shrine Club. As a
Rotarian, Ed achieved 41 years of perfect attendance, and
attended Rotary meetings in 36 states and 15 foreign countries.
He also received Rotarys Paul Harris Fellow Award for his
service. He was a Board Member of the Guymon Chamber of
Commerce, a member of the Guymon Goodwill Ambassadors and was
active in all aspects of Guymon community activities.
Ed married Marjie McGinnis on December 18, 1944, and to this
union was born two sons, Edgar Jay and Randall Louis, and one
daughter, Betty Jean. Ed and Marjie recently celebrated their
60th wedding anniversary. Survivors include his wife Marjie of
Guymon; Jay and wife Suk and their three daughters: Athena,
Alyssa and Alana, of Northridge, CA; Randy of Tucson, AZ; Betty
and husband Peter Biasotti and their three sons: Bryant, Bradley
and Brennan of Sleepy Hollow, IL; a sister, Charlayne Lobit of
Sun City West, AZ; two nieces and a nephew and their families.
Also included in Eds immediate family are Marjies sister
Janell and her husband Bob Savage of Enid, OK, their two sons
and their families.
Family and friends rejoice in the celebration of his life. He
will always be remembered for his joyful and infectious laugh,
which would light up any room and provided a window to his soul.
Ed was full of life and possessed a tireless energy and
persistent quest for adventure and exposure to new experiences
and ideas. His extensive professional accomplishments and
social contributions were exceeded only by his genuine love of
involvement with people, and he touched the lives of all who
knew him - and especially his family and closest friends -
through his laughter and exemplary life. He will also be
remembered by all for his $2 bills, his colorful expressions,
and for just being fun to be around. He will be sorely missed.
Dismount and fight on foot.
Funeral services will be Friday morning, December 31st at 11:00
AM at the Victory Memorial United Methodist Church with Rev.
Katie Brown, associate pastor officiating. Interment will
follow in Elmhurst Cemetery under the direction of Henson-Novak
Funeral Directors of Guymon.
The family will receive friends at the Henson-Novak Funeral Home
on Thursday evening, December 30th from 6-8:00 PM.
Memorials can be given in honor of Ed Lobit to the Panhandle
Shriners (which will be applied to the childrens transportation
fund), the Victory Memorial United Methodist Church of Guymon or
the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum. All
memorials may be sent to Henson-Novak Funeral Directors at Box
1306, Guymon, OK, 73942.
