Gary Wayne Sleeper

Gary Wayne Sleeper, born January 26, 1945, in Oklahoma City, died July 19, 2026, also in Oklahoma City, at age 81. He was an attorney and judge whose sharp mind and love of justice shaped a life of service to his community.

Gary's path began in Oklahoma City, where he attended Villa Teresa for preschool and kindergarten before moving on to St. Patrick Elementary and Bishop McGuinness High School. He went on to study at the University of Oklahoma and then OCU Law School.

Gary was a man of varied passions. He was a devoted fan of OU football and loved the speed and strategy of hockey and race cars. He was a voracious reader, drawn to history and true crime novels—he was also a published author, putting his knowledge and love of history into words. He embraced technology and stayed engaged with the changing world around him, always curious and always learning. But perhaps his greatest joy was family and friends, the people closest to him.

Gary was preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth and Lois Sleeper Mercurio, his daughter Alison Sleeper Mach Patterson, and grandson Brandon Mach. He is survived by his youngest daughter, Andee Sleeper Burton; his grandchildren Emily and Zach Harris, Sara Mach, Ryan and Makyla Mach, Megan Burton and fiancé Bradley Liles, Jennie and Gibson Davis, James and Gracie Burton, and his great grandchildren Zachary Rayner, Hailey Harris, Javier Recinos, Sophia Nava, Ely Davis, Matthew Davis, and Michael Davis.