Mary MALLY Randolph

Mary MALLY (Crow) Randolph went to be with her Lord and Savior on October 16, 2023. She recently celebrated her 91st birthday on October 1st with her family in Gig Harbor, WA. She was born in the year 1932 in the Schultz community east of Idabel to loving parents Herbert (Hub) W. Crow and Anna Matilda (Tillie) Schultz Crow.

She married the love of her life, John E. Randolph in September 1954 at the First Lutheran Church in Ada, Oklahoma. They built a home and established a ranch east of Idabel. From this marriage came two daughters, Johnna Kay Randolph and Julie Bea Randolph and two beautiful grandchildren. She was a fun mother who loved music, dancing, and all living creatures (Mostly small). She was never afraid to take on a stray when we went to the dump or treat the mange of a kitten left behind for someone else to care for. She hurt for all things injured and would go to great lengths to help not only abandoned animals, but children and families in need.

Mally grew up in the Denison Community and was a graduate of Denison School and Idabel Gray High. She attended EOSU at Wilburton and ECSU in Ada where she completed her BS degree in Education. Her first teaching job was at Peaceful Home, a rural school outside of Valliant where she taught all eight grades and coached basketball. Her second school was at Marshall Hill, again teaching all eight grades. Here she built a basketball court and offered sports, always working to improve childhood education.

Next in her teaching career, she taught at Denison and became the Principal. While there she started a music program and basketball. In summers she worked hard getting her MS in Education from Northeastern in Tahlequah with certifications in Speech Therapy and Learning Disabilities. She left to start a Speech Therapy program and began the first Learning Disability program in the county.

Her educational interests were many and the desire to continue to improve education of young children led her to begin the first program for 4 years old in McCurtain County as well as the first Oklahoma Parents as Teacher Program in McCurtain County. She served as Principal at George Early Childhood and became Director of Special Services for Idabel. She believed in the need to offer programs for Special Needs Children and began many of these programs in Idabel. Mally was a very dedicated educator with exceptional gifts for others. She was a force for progress in childhood education enriching the lives of many children and parents.

Mally was active in many roles in the McCurtain County community and she loved her hometown and the people who live there. In 2017 she chose to move to Gig Harbor, WA to spend her later years. She never left her desire to return to her home in Idabel and the people she loved and cared about. She passed peacefully in her sleep on Monday and is being brought home to Idabel for her final resting place. Her surviving family members are Johnna Kay Randolph of Columbia, South Carolina, Julie Randolph Miller and her husband Dr. Terry Miller of Gig Harbor, Washington, grandchildren Haley Randolph Miller of Seattle, Washington, and Harrison Randolph Miller of Gig Harbor. She is also survived by her brother-in-law, Bob Randolph and wife, Sue of Urbandale, Iowa along with many nieces and nephews.

Mally had a strong faith in Jesus and was sustained in difficult times with knowing her Lord. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Idabel. As she returns to her final resting place here in Idabel, a visitation is scheduled for Sunday, October 22 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at White Family Funeral Home. Graveside services will be held at 2:00 pm on Monday, October 23, 2023 at Denison Cemetery. Donations in her memory can be made to Denison School or the First United Methodist Church in Idabel.

Online condolences can be shared with the family at www.whitefamilyfh.com.

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