Richard "Dick" Owen Cavett, 76, of Stillwater, Oklahoma, passed away on April 23, 2026, in Stillwater. A public visitation will be held at 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. with family being present from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at Strode Funeral Home.

A service to celebrate his life will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday April 30, 2026 at Strode Funeral Home Chapel in Stillwater, with Pastor Charla Gwartney officiating. He will be laid to rest at Hope Chapel at Odd Fellows Cemetery in Ponca City, Oklahoma.

Dick was born on February 19, 1950, in Blackwell, Oklahoma, to Charles Owen Cavett and Mary Evelyn (Garwood) Cavett. He grew up in Lamont, Blackwell, and Ponca City, Oklahoma, graduating from Ponca City High School with the Class of 1968. He went on to attend Oklahoma State University, graduating in 1973 with a degree in chemical engineering. While at Oklahoma State, he was a member of the ROTC program and, upon graduating, served in the Army Reserves, attaining the rank of First Lieutenant. He is a lifetime member of the Oklahoma State alumni association.

He married Paula McKay in 1976 in Ponca City, Oklahoma. He spent over 35 years working as a chemical engineer with Conoco, holding a variety of roles throughout his career. His career took him to Ponca City, Houston, Katy, and Lake Charles where he met many dear friends along the way. He finished his career as a Senior Consultant specializing in linear programming and scheduling models for refinery optimization. He was respected for his expertise, problem-solving ability, and dedication to his work.

Dick was a devoted husband, father, brother, uncle, brother-in-law, and cousin. He is survived by his loving wife, Paula McKay Cavett; his children, Kimberly Cavett and Mark Cavett; his brother, Stan Cavett; sisters-in-law, Marsha Austin and Debbie Cavett; nieces, Amanda Austin, Jessica Cavett, Jayne Cavett, and Misti Austin; his nephew Zach Austin; great niece Elise Austin Becker; and great nephew Knox Cavett Scarborough, and many cousins.

He was a member of many Methodist churches throughout his life, where he expressed his passion for singing in choirs, teaching in Sunday school, and leading Bible studies. He served as a leader on various committees as a church member. He also enjoyed playing golf, walking with his dogs, attending Oklahoma State sporting events, and reading science fiction novels.

He will be remembered for his steady presence, his intelligence, his sense of humor, and his deep love for his family.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Mary Cavett, his father-in-law, Donald McKay, his brother-in-law, Arthur "Artie" Austin, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

The family extends special thanks to all the caregivers who provided exceptional care to Dick over the last few years at Brookdale Senior Living, Westhaven Skilled Nursing, Golden Oaks, Frontier Hospice, Elara Home Health, and Stillwater Medical Center.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the music ministries of a church of your choice.