Knighton T. Meade, Jr.

Knighton T. “Bud” Meade, Jr., passed away at his home on December 14, 2025, with this family at his side. He was born August 28, 1928, in Pittsburgh and raised in Uniontown, PA, the second of four children of Knighton T. Meade and Margaret Cray Meade. He graduated from: Portsmouth Abbey School, Newport, Rhode Island; Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.; U.S. Navy Aviation Program, Pensacola, Florida; and Oklahoma City University School of Law.

As a naval aviator toward the end of the Korean War, he patrolled the Korea Strait and the East China Sea, piloting the P5M Marlin, the last seaplane employed by the U.S. Navy. He came to Oklahoma City in 1959, joining his brother, James Cray Meade, in the oil and gas business. Over the years, this relationship grew into Meade Energy Corporation, a successful oil and gas producer in Oklahoma, Texas and Pennsylvania.

During this time, Bud was also an avid sportsman: golfer, fly fisherman, snow skier and fox hunter. He was the only Oklahoman ever to win the Vail Silver Stein award in the annual Southwest Ski Association giant slalom races at Vail, Colorado. Moreover, he won two.

He showed horses in Oklahoma and Texas and fox hunted in the U.S., France (with the Rothschild Hunt), England (with Prince Charles) and Ireland with the Galway Blazers, the most famous foxhunt in the world. And during his retirement years, Bud wrote eight popular horsey mysteries and two biographical booklets.

He enjoyed spending time with his children at YMCA Camp Classen and served on its Board of Managers for 38 years, helping to develop it into one of the premier resident camps in the U.S. For several years, he was president of The Lotus dinner/dance club and served on the board of the Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club. He was also an active supporter of Catholic Charities and in 2023 was honored with the Green Tie Ambassador Award by the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.

He was preceded in death by his eldest child, Andrew Cray Meade; his brother, James; and his sister, Margaret Lambert. Bud is survived by his sister, Catharine “Cacky” Gregware; his beloved wife and favorite dance partner, Marilyn; and their three talented children: Catherine “Cacky” Meade Poarch of Oklahoma City (and her husband, Sean Murphy); Elizabeth Ann Meade of Denver (and her husband, Dan Wallace); and Michael Wescott Meade of Tokyo, Japan; as well as their grandchildren, Parker and Meade Poarch.

Viewing will be on Saturday, December 20 from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. at Smith & Kernke on N. May. The funeral service will be at Christ the King Catholic Church at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 21, followed by a reception at the Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club.

In lieu of flowers, it is requested that contributions be made to:

Catholic Charities, 1232 N. Classen Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73106
or
YMCA Camp Classen, 500 N. Broadway #500, Oklahoma City, OK 73102
or
Casady School, 9500 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73120