BURT LOONEY
August 14, 1934 - September 5, 2025
donate in memory of Burt
EMPIRE CAT THINK BIG PROGRAM
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Empire CAT ThinkBIG Program. The ThinkBIG Apprentice Program is a college-level curriculum that provides students with the education and skills necessary to become heavy-equipment diesel technicians.
Burt was extremely proud of his late Grandson, Grant Looney, who was a graduate of the program. Through the scholarship fund established in Grant's name, we hope to honor the Looney legacy of excellence in construction and mechanics.
When you click on the link in the box “Designation” it should be “ General Scholarship Fund” , next in the box “Leave a Comment” insert “ Empire SW Endowment in memory of Burt Looney" to ensure that your donation is designated to the correct program.
A LIFE OF WORK & ACHIEVEMENT
Burt began his career in the family businesses at: Looney Sheet Metal and American Steel, starting as a sheet metal apprentice in 1957 earning an hourly wage rate of $1.81/hour. Their companies built projects of national importance. Among their notable accomplishments were:
- Supplying bomb racks for the United States Air Force,
- Constructing high-line transmission towers that carried power from Hoover Dam, and
- Building the first launchpad at Cape Canaveral that would send the Apollo spacecraft on its journey to the Moon.
After constructing a new steel fabricating and galvanizing facility for the family business, Burt and his brother, Ron Looney, with their visionary entrepreneur spirit formed Triangle Development Company, a real estate development and design build firm. Together, they expanded beyond steel into a wide range of construction and development activities, including:
- Developing business parks and industrial facilities across Tulsa,
- Constructing high-quality office and industrial structures that remain Tulsa landmarks to this day.
- Operating a dirt work company that handled large-scale grading and site preparation, and a paving company the paved roads, subdivision streets and highways around Oklahoma, and
- Running a sand operation that supplied fill sand for other builders and developers
During his career, Burt’s company was also awarded the honor of hoisting and setting into place the statue of St. Francis, which still greets visitors to the St. Francis Hospital at the corner of 61st and Yale. In a heartfelt full-circle moment, Burt spent his final days that very hospital, decades after planting its enduring symbol of care and healing.
A WITNESS TO HISTORY
Born in 1934, Burt’s lifetime spanned some of the most transformative events in American history. He grew up during the Great Depression and was a boy during World War II. As a young man, he witnessed the post-war boom of the 1950s, the rise of suburbia, and the dawn of the space age—an era his own family's work helped shape.
He lived through the Civil Rights Movement, the turbulence of the Vietnam era, the tragedy of JFK’s assassination, and the triumph of the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969—a mission made possible in part by the very launch infrastructure his family’s company helped build.
He saw the rise of personal computing and the internet, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the tragedy of September 11, 2001, and the remarkable pace of innovation in the 21st century. Burt’s 91 years bridged a century of extraordinary change.
WHAT LIFE COST WHEN BURT WAS BORN
To appreciate the world into which Burt was born:
- House: ~$5,970 (national average price for a new home)
- Car: ~$625 (for a new automobile, e.g., a Ford V8)
- Gallon of Milk: $0.45
- Loaf of Bread: $0.08
- Dozen Eggs: $0.18
- Movie Ticket: $0.25
As a boy, Burt learned the value of hard work early. After finishing his chores for the week, he would be paid a quarter—and with that quarter he could treat himself to an afternoon at the local movie theater. For 25 cents, he bought a ticket, enjoyed popcorn, a hot dog, a piece of bubblegum, and a Coke, and still came home with a nickel left in his pocket. Times were different back then, and Burt often marveled at how much the cost of living had changed compared to the simple joys of his childhood.
FAMILY, TRADITIONS, & SPECIAL MEMORIES
As Burt raised his family, he was fully involved in every aspect of their lives—whether it was soccer, dance, ice hockey, go-kart racing, hunting, or family vacations, he was always there, cheering them on and making memories.
But it wasn’t just his immediate family who felt his support and generosity. Burt’s home was a revolving door of warmth and welcome—not only to his own friends, but to his children’s countless friends as well. He had a way of making everyone feel like family.
Need an extra plate at dinner? No problem—there was always room for one more at the table, especially if ribeye steaks, baked potatoes, and Caesar salads were on the menu. Holidays and weekends often turned into full-blown backyard feasts, where Burt manned the Hasty Bake charcoal grill like a seasoned pitmaster. He served up ribs, hamburgers, steaks, and his infamous smoked bologna—each cut of meat lovingly slathered in the legendary Looney family barbecue sauce, a recipe passed down from his parents and perfected over a century.
If you were lucky enough to know Burt, chances are you left his house full—of food, laughter, and a strong sense of belonging.
In his later years, Burt dedicated countless hours to his grandchildren—cheering them on at their activities, celebrating holidays, and joining in on every festivity (especially if snacks were involved).
He also cherished time with his lifelong friends and his beloved brother, Ron. You could usually find Burt and Ron doing what they did best: watching sports all weekend long (well... at least until they both fell asleep in their recliners halfway through the game), getting their routine haircuts from the same trusty barber, cruising around Tulsa to check on "important projects," or grabbing a burger from one of their many favorite joints.
These two shared an incredible bond—and just about everything else, including a mutual talent for napping through the fourth quarter.
These gatherings were more than meals — they were moments of friendship and joy. Burt held these memories close to his heart, often recalling them in his later years as some of the most special times of his life.
BURT'S TIMELINE WITH AMERICAN AUTOMAKERS
At just 14 years old, Burt got his farm driver’s permit—and with it, a whole new world opened up. He used his savings to buy a World War II army surplus Jeep for $300. After a full day spent unpacking and cleaning the parts from the shipping crate, he and a friend assembled the entire Jeep in a single day. That project sparked a lifelong love affair with automobiles.
Cars were always part of Burt’s world—whether it was the thrill of racing or his deep appreciation for engineering and craftsmanship. The evolution of American automobiles ran right alongside the milestones of his own life:
- 1934 (the year Burt was born): Names like Ford, Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile, GMC, Cadillac, and Chrysler were already fixtures on the streets of Tulsa.
- World War II (1942–1945): Civilian car production stopped as factories shifted to making tanks, planes, and jeeps. Families made do with their prewar vehicles—and young Burt absorbed every bit of this mechanical moment in history.
- Late 1940s (Burt in his teens): Automakers returned with bold new designs. Oldsmobile debuted the first true muscle car with a powerful V8. Cadillac rolled out dramatic fighter-plane-inspired tailfins. And Ford’s Custom line broke away from boxy prewar styles with sleek, modern curves.
- Early 1950s (Burt in his early 20s): Cars became faster, flashier, and full of personality. Icons like the Cadillac Eldorado, Chevrolet Bel Air, and Ford Thunderbird hit the road—just as Burt was finding his own lane in life.
From his first Jeep to dragsters and muscle cars, Burt's connection to cars was never just about the ride—it was about the story, the grit, the innovation, and the freedom they represented.
PASSION & ADVENTURE
In the 1950s, Burt chased his passion for speed and engineering as a dedicated drag racer. He raced everything from a blown '40 Willys to a '55 Oldsmobile, but his most legendary ride came in 1959 when he set a world record in the quarter mile—with his dragster that he and his friends built from scratch in his dad’s sheet metal shop on Admiral Drive. The build started on a bet that he couldn’t finish it in a week. He did, of course. They named the car “Broad Jumper,” and it flew.
Burt and his crew traveled across the country—from California to Texas to New Mexico—racing (and often beating) some of the biggest names in drag racing, purely for the pride of winning.
It was nothing for Burt and three friends to get off work on a Friday, load a race car onto a trailer, and drive straight through the night on Route 66 to Bakersfield, CA—race all weekend, then make it back in time for work Monday morning.
His life on and off the track was fueled by determination, courage, and a fearless drive to push the limits.
REMEMBERING BURT
Harold Burton “Burt” Looney’s life was a story of American grit, innovation, and love of family. From drag racing world records to building the infrastructure that powered and propelled the nation forward, and from shaping Tulsa’s industrial landscape to placing a statue at a hospital where he would one day say goodbye, his hands and heart helped shape both his family’s story and the story of America.
He never lost sight of the simple joys he learned as a boy in Tulsa—earning a quarter for a week’s chores, stretching it to cover a movie ticket, popcorn, a hot dog, bubblegum, and a Coke, and still walking home with a nickel. That memory stayed with him, a reminder that life’s true wealth is not found in what things cost, but in the love of family, the pride of hard work, and the joy of simple pleasures.
While Burt accomplished great things in his career that helped shape the world, his greatest pride was not in buildings or business but in people — in his many close friendships, his three children, and his seven grandchildren. These, above all, were the true achievements of his life.
His memory will live on through the generations he inspired, the projects he helped build, and the example he set of living boldly and purposefully.