Karen Frances Leveridge, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, passed away in Oklahoma City on April 6, 2010, after a prolonged illness.
Leveridge's life was one devoted to service and filled with passion, optimism, and hard work on behalf of others. The middle of three children born to Cecil and Francis Oakes, she began her remarkable life on February 3, 1933, in Norman, Oklahoma. She spent her formative years in Okemah, Oklahoma, where her father was the superintendent of schools, and though she would later relocate to Oklahoma City and have the opportunity to travel to major cities across the country and around the world, she remained ever proud to have grown up in a small town.
Leveridge attended Oklahoma A&M College from 1951-1953, before moving to Oklahoma City to accept a job with TransCon Trucking Company. As a young adult, she was active at St. Luke's Methodist Church, which is where she met her husband, Lloyd Leveridge. The two were married on October 30, 1954, and remained devoted to each other through the nearly 56 years of love and mutual support. Karen was a committed participant in a variety of local, state, and national education organizations, and was appointed to numerous related boards and commissions by state leaders. From 1977-1981, she served two terms as the president of the Oklahoma State PTA, was president of the National PTA's State President's Council, and served as Region Six Vice President of the National PTA. She also served as president of the Oklahoma City Camp Fire Board and as a member of the boards of the Easter Seals Society and the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. She was a member of the board of the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges, and served a three-year term on the executive board of that organization. Karen was founder and chair of the Oklahoma Coalition for Public Education, an organization whose primary goal was the preservation and improvement of public schools, and served as Executive Director of the Oklahoma Network for Excellence. In 1986, the OCPE established the Karen Leveridge Award for Service to Public Education. Leveridge joined the Oklahoma State Chamber as its first Director of Education, serving in that capacity until her retirement in 2002. In December 2000, she received the Award of Merit from the Association for Career and Technical Education. Karen was, through her adult years, an active member of the United Methodist Church, spending the last 26 years at United Methodist Church of the Servant.
She is survived by her husband, Lloyd Leveridge; her four children, Tony Leveridge, Brett Leveridge, Kim Brinkmeyer, and Julie Stafford; her two daughters-in-law, Marci Leveridge and Erin Meister; her seven grandchildren, Larissa Madore, Robert Leveridge? Matthew Leveridge, Eric Leveridge, Kayla Stafford, Amanda Brinkmeyer, and Jerrod Stafford; and her five great-grandchildren, Asher Leveridge, Evan Madore, Reuben Leveridge, Elise Madore, and Caleb Leveridge; a sister, Linda Oakes; a brother, Cecil Oakes, Jr.; and a large extended family who will all miss her greatly.
Services will be held on Friday, April 9, at United Methodist Church of the Servant, 14343 North MacArthur. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association and American Cancer Society .
Published in The Oklahoman on April 8, 2010
Leveridge's life was one devoted to service and filled with passion, optimism, and hard work on behalf of others. The middle of three children born to Cecil and Francis Oakes, she began her remarkable life on February 3, 1933, in Norman, Oklahoma. She spent her formative years in Okemah, Oklahoma, where her father was the superintendent of schools, and though she would later relocate to Oklahoma City and have the opportunity to travel to major cities across the country and around the world, she remained ever proud to have grown up in a small town.
Leveridge attended Oklahoma A&M College from 1951-1953, before moving to Oklahoma City to accept a job with TransCon Trucking Company. As a young adult, she was active at St. Luke's Methodist Church, which is where she met her husband, Lloyd Leveridge. The two were married on October 30, 1954, and remained devoted to each other through the nearly 56 years of love and mutual support. Karen was a committed participant in a variety of local, state, and national education organizations, and was appointed to numerous related boards and commissions by state leaders. From 1977-1981, she served two terms as the president of the Oklahoma State PTA, was president of the National PTA's State President's Council, and served as Region Six Vice President of the National PTA. She also served as president of the Oklahoma City Camp Fire Board and as a member of the boards of the Easter Seals Society and the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. She was a member of the board of the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges, and served a three-year term on the executive board of that organization. Karen was founder and chair of the Oklahoma Coalition for Public Education, an organization whose primary goal was the preservation and improvement of public schools, and served as Executive Director of the Oklahoma Network for Excellence. In 1986, the OCPE established the Karen Leveridge Award for Service to Public Education. Leveridge joined the Oklahoma State Chamber as its first Director of Education, serving in that capacity until her retirement in 2002. In December 2000, she received the Award of Merit from the Association for Career and Technical Education. Karen was, through her adult years, an active member of the United Methodist Church, spending the last 26 years at United Methodist Church of the Servant.
She is survived by her husband, Lloyd Leveridge; her four children, Tony Leveridge, Brett Leveridge, Kim Brinkmeyer, and Julie Stafford; her two daughters-in-law, Marci Leveridge and Erin Meister; her seven grandchildren, Larissa Madore, Robert Leveridge? Matthew Leveridge, Eric Leveridge, Kayla Stafford, Amanda Brinkmeyer, and Jerrod Stafford; and her five great-grandchildren, Asher Leveridge, Evan Madore, Reuben Leveridge, Elise Madore, and Caleb Leveridge; a sister, Linda Oakes; a brother, Cecil Oakes, Jr.; and a large extended family who will all miss her greatly.
Services will be held on Friday, April 9, at United Methodist Church of the Servant, 14343 North MacArthur. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association and American Cancer Society .
Published in The Oklahoman on April 8, 2010
Karen Frances Leveridge, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, passed away in Oklahoma City on April 6, 2010, after a prolonged illness.
Leveridge's life was one devoted to service and filled with passion, optimism, and hard work on behalf of others. The middle of three children born to Cecil and Francis Oakes, she began her remarkable life on February 3, 1933, in Norman, Oklahoma. She spent her formative years in Okemah, Oklahoma, where her father was the superintendent of schools, and though she would later relocate to Oklahoma City and have the opportunity to travel to major cities across the country and around the world, she remained ever proud to have grown up in a small town.
Leveridge attended Oklahoma A&M College from 1951-1953, before moving to Oklahoma City to accept a job with TransCon Trucking Company. As a young adult, she was active at St. Luke's Methodist Church, which is where she met her husband, Lloyd Leveridge. The two were married on October 30, 1954, and remained devoted to each other through the nearly 56 years of love and mutual support. Karen was a committed participant in a variety of local, state, and national education organizations, and was appointed to numerous related boards and commissions by state leaders. From 1977-1981, she served two terms as the president of the Oklahoma State PTA, was president of the National PTA's State President's Council, and served as Region Six Vice President of the National PTA. She also served as president of the Oklahoma City Camp Fire Board and as a member of the boards of the Easter Seals Society and the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. She was a member of the board of the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges, and served a three-year term on the executive board of that organization. Karen was founder and chair of the Oklahoma Coalition for Public Education, an organization whose primary goal was the preservation and improvement of public schools, and served as Executive Director of the Oklahoma Network for Excellence. In 1986, the OCPE established the Karen Leveridge Award for Service to Public Education. Leveridge joined the Oklahoma State Chamber as its first Director of Education, serving in that capacity until her retirement in 2002. In December 2000, she received the Award of Merit from the Association for Career and Technical Education. Karen was, through her adult years, an active member of the United Methodist Church, spending the last 26 years at United Methodist Church of the Servant.
She is survived by her husband, Lloyd Leveridge; her four children, Tony Leveridge, Brett Leveridge, Kim Brinkmeyer, and Julie Stafford; her two daughters-in-law, Marci Leveridge and Erin Meister; her seven grandchildren, Larissa Madore, Robert Leveridge? Matthew Leveridge, Eric Leveridge, Kayla Stafford, Amanda Brinkmeyer, and Jerrod Stafford; and her five great-grandchildren, Asher Leveridge, Evan Madore, Reuben Leveridge, Elise Madore, and Caleb Leveridge; a sister, Linda Oakes; a brother, Cecil Oakes, Jr.; and a large extended family who will all miss her greatly.
Services will be held on Friday, April 9, at United Methodist Church of the Servant, 14343 North MacArthur. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association and American Cancer Society .
Published in The Oklahoman on April 8, 2010
Leveridge's life was one devoted to service and filled with passion, optimism, and hard work on behalf of others. The middle of three children born to Cecil and Francis Oakes, she began her remarkable life on February 3, 1933, in Norman, Oklahoma. She spent her formative years in Okemah, Oklahoma, where her father was the superintendent of schools, and though she would later relocate to Oklahoma City and have the opportunity to travel to major cities across the country and around the world, she remained ever proud to have grown up in a small town.
Leveridge attended Oklahoma A&M College from 1951-1953, before moving to Oklahoma City to accept a job with TransCon Trucking Company. As a young adult, she was active at St. Luke's Methodist Church, which is where she met her husband, Lloyd Leveridge. The two were married on October 30, 1954, and remained devoted to each other through the nearly 56 years of love and mutual support. Karen was a committed participant in a variety of local, state, and national education organizations, and was appointed to numerous related boards and commissions by state leaders. From 1977-1981, she served two terms as the president of the Oklahoma State PTA, was president of the National PTA's State President's Council, and served as Region Six Vice President of the National PTA. She also served as president of the Oklahoma City Camp Fire Board and as a member of the boards of the Easter Seals Society and the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. She was a member of the board of the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges, and served a three-year term on the executive board of that organization. Karen was founder and chair of the Oklahoma Coalition for Public Education, an organization whose primary goal was the preservation and improvement of public schools, and served as Executive Director of the Oklahoma Network for Excellence. In 1986, the OCPE established the Karen Leveridge Award for Service to Public Education. Leveridge joined the Oklahoma State Chamber as its first Director of Education, serving in that capacity until her retirement in 2002. In December 2000, she received the Award of Merit from the Association for Career and Technical Education. Karen was, through her adult years, an active member of the United Methodist Church, spending the last 26 years at United Methodist Church of the Servant.
She is survived by her husband, Lloyd Leveridge; her four children, Tony Leveridge, Brett Leveridge, Kim Brinkmeyer, and Julie Stafford; her two daughters-in-law, Marci Leveridge and Erin Meister; her seven grandchildren, Larissa Madore, Robert Leveridge? Matthew Leveridge, Eric Leveridge, Kayla Stafford, Amanda Brinkmeyer, and Jerrod Stafford; and her five great-grandchildren, Asher Leveridge, Evan Madore, Reuben Leveridge, Elise Madore, and Caleb Leveridge; a sister, Linda Oakes; a brother, Cecil Oakes, Jr.; and a large extended family who will all miss her greatly.
Services will be held on Friday, April 9, at United Methodist Church of the Servant, 14343 North MacArthur. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association and American Cancer Society .
Published in The Oklahoman on April 8, 2010
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