Esteban "Lou" Justo Vargas

Esteban “Lou” Justo Vargas, 85, a lifelong resident of Dewey, passed away on Wednesday, February 8, 2023. Esteban was born on December 26, 1937, in Dewey, to Alfonso Vargas and Dolores (Ruiz) Vargas. He attended Dewey schools through the 10th grade and then worked as a cowboy on area ranches as a teenager. In 1954, at the age of 17, Esteban joined the Air Force, serving stateside as a weapons mechanic. Following his honorable discharge, he remained in Lawton for a short time, where he worked for a bottling company and painted signs. He married Dolores “Jean” Reid in 1962 and they moved back to Dewey in 1968. They divorced in 1979, but the couple remained lifelong friends. Esteban has left a legacy in the Bartlesville and Dewey areas. In the 1970s he went to school to become an electrician and did electrical work all throughout the area. Driving around with his children, Esteban would point out the work he completed in numerous homes and businesses. He was an extraordinary gifted craftsman utilizing his tools with great skill. He built his own house for his family. He was a proud member of IBEW (the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union) Local 584 out of Tulsa. His love of playing the guitar began at an early age. He was 2 when he started teaching himself to play. Although his mother passed away when he was young, Esteban always said his talent with the guitar was passed down from his mother. He joined several different bands through the years, including The Musicians and with Freddie Swepston, and numerous others. His first paying gig was at Dobbie’s when he was in a three-piece band. For years, he played at the Nowata Country Jubilee with Norman and Louise Whistler and countless others. He was so talented he had been invited to play with Porter Wagoner’s band and Jerry Lewis, but Esteban turned it down because he was a family man and wanted to be home with his children. Esteban was a lifelong member of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Dewey. He leaves behind a loving family and friends who will miss him dearly. Esteban is survived by his ex-wife and longtime friend, Dolores Vargas; three children, Tommy Vargas, Lisa Vargas, and Esteban Vargas and his fiancé Tara; 11 grandchildren, Lekisha, Jessica and her husband Royce, Colby and his wife Rebecca, Michelle, Brooke and her husband Justin, Lacey, Justin, Kelcie, Jarred, Jesse, and Colton; 28 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren and 2 more on the way. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his daughter, Jo Lena Jordan; grandson, Joshua David; and all eight of his siblings, Cecilia Meade, Emila Martinez, Frances Gomez, Pastor Vargas, Alfonso Vargas, Louis Vargas, Clemente Vargas, and Mary Maldonado. Visitation will be held from 10-8 Tuesday, February 14, 2023, at Davis Family Funeral Home – Dewey Chapel, 113 S. Osage Ave., Dewey, OK 74029, 918-534-3030. In addition, a Rosary will be said at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Funeral Mass will be 10 a.m. Wednesday, February 15, 2023, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church with Father Leonard Higgins officiating. Services are under the direction of Carter Davis and Davis Family Funeral Home – Dewey Chapel. Online condolences and remembrances may be left at www.DavisFamilyFuneralHome.com.

Esteban "Lou" Justo Vargas

December 26, 1937 - February 8, 2023