Mary Lee Gibson 1933 ~ 2023
Mary Lee Gibson of Tulsa, Oklahoma departed this world for her heavenly home on December 9th, 2023.
Mary was born on December 16th, 1933 to O.F. and Vivian Barker of Reydon, Oklahoma. She grew up on the family farm in Roger Mills County, Oklahoma.
She attended Reydon and Durham schools, graduating from Reydon High School in 1951.Following her high school graduation, Mary moved to Oklahoma City where she attended Draughon’s Business College and worked for Stribling, Cochran, and Smith livestock company. While in Oklahoma City she met Walter W. Gibson, they married in 1953 and remained in Oklahoma City until moving to Tulsa in 1960.
After moving to Tulsa in 1960, Mary gave birth to her son David. She was a stay-at-home mom in his early years, chauffeuring he and his teammates to countless practices, basketball and baseball games. She also kept the baseball, and at times, basketball score book. In the early 1960s Mary began a journey in the sport of bowling that would last until near the end of her life. She became an accomplished bowler and participated in the sport until she was 89. She competed in multiple leagues a week and also served many terms on the board of the Tulsa Women’s Bowling Association. Mary bowled on the Rose Bowl team in the Ladies Traveling League, at that time the premier woman’s league in Tulsa. She was also an avid garage saler and enjoyed finding a great bargain.
In April of 1977 Mary began working for Moody’s Jewelry and remained an employee there until January of 2009. She cherished the friendships of her fellow employees and spoke many times of how lucky she was to work alongside the Moody family. After surviving cancer in the late 1980s Mary began volunteer work for the Tulsa Ostomy Association, counseling and educating new ostomy patients. She also enjoyed traveling the country to watch her daughter-in-law Janice play professional golf on the LPGA Tour. She was tremendously proud of her granddaughter Jessica and her husband Dr. Christopher Wilson, and especially her great grandson Benjamin.
Mary was preceded in death by her parents O.F. and Vivian Barker; and her brother Troy Dean. She is survived by her son David and his wife Janice of Tulsa, her granddaughter Jessica Wilson and her husband Dr. Christopher Wilson, and great grandson Benjamin, all of Tulsa; her nephew Robert Barker and his wife Christy of Knoxville, TN and a host of other cousins. Graveside service will be held at White Rose Cemetery In Reydon, Oklahoma on Friday, December 15th at 11:00 am.
