Services to remember and celebrate the life of Chester M. "Whoopy" Baldwin will be 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 10, 2024, at the Tiawah Community Baptist Church. Burial will follow at Chelsea Cemetery. Visitation will be at the funeral home on Tuesday from 3-7 with family there to receive friends from 5-7. Whoopy passed away in Claremore on Sunday, June 30, 2024. He was 76.

Born in Claremore, OK on March 15, 1948, to George Washington and Eula Bessie (Griffin) Baldwin. Whoopy's mother passed away when he was only two years old and he was raised by his father's second wife Darlene. She raised all five children and gave Whoopy two more siblings. Whoopy and his family lived in several different states before moving to Claremore. He graduated from Midwest City High School in Oklahoma City. Following high school graduation, Whoopy went on to college and received his Associate of Arts Degree. He attended barber school and started cutting hair at Amarillo Air Force base. According to Whoopy this career lasted until the Beatles became popular and everyone stopped getting their haircut. On August 13, 1971 Whoopy married Susie McPhetridge the mother of his only biological son Justin. Whoopy always had a dream of being a Texas Ranger, but since he wasn't from Texas he settled on being a cop with the Claremore Police Department. A career that lasted for 25 years and 7 months.

A man that was highly intelligent and, in many cases, self-taught from his passion for reading. Whoopy was a writer and a poet. In fact, according to son Justin he had compiled more than 250 poems and had always wanted to get some of them published. In later life Whoopy married Linda Turpin on August 1, 1982, and they became a blended family with two children. Always being a "cowboy" at heart, he and Linda bought a house and acreage in the Chelsea area. Whoopy loved every minute of living in that rural setting. Many evenings were filled with playing the guitar and if you were lucky Whoopy might even do a few of his rope tricks. He raised a huge garden and was eager to share and show off the vegetables that he grew. He was an avid historian and according to family, a Civil War fanatic. Whoopy even had photography skills and did weddings and even a rodeo or two. Justin remembers one story that Whoopy liked to tell of getting horned by a bull when he was in the arena taking pictures. A story that over the years seemed to get bigger and more dangerous each time it was told.

A man that has left his family with many life lessons and years of memories. Whoopy is survived by his son, Justin Baldwin and wife Robin, stepson, Preston Goodson, grandchildren, Raven Searcy, Charlie Jo Baldwin, Christopher Baldwin, Jennifer Goodson, Brandon Goodson, Tori Goodson, and Zach Goodson, great grandchildren, Hayden, Zaiden, Noah and Jadyn, brother, Bill Baldwin and wife MaryLynn, sisters, Jerry Fretz and husband Mike, Georgia Lamb and husband Steve, sister-in-law, Janet Baldwin, and numerous nieces, nephews and extended family. Facebook friends that turned into family but no relations Paulette and Jim Baldwin. Whoopy was preceded in death by his parents, wife Linda, brothers, Jim and Darrell Baldwin, sister, Fabian Rhines

Please sign and view Whoopy's online tribute on www.delozierfuneralservice.com