Kay Pirtle

Kay Pirtle passed away at the age of 80 on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, in Norman, Oklahoma. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and the friend you could always count on to help or just listen.

Kay was born March 16, 1942, in Stillwater, Oklahoma, to Hollie C. and Marjorie (Churchill) Crouch. She lived in Clarksville, Arkansas, and then Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she graduated from Will Rogers High School in 1960. She attended Northeastern State University in Tahlequah and met her future husband Kin at the Baptist Student Union.

Kay and Kin married on Sept. 2, 1961, in Tulsa, two weeks before he started medical school at the University of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City. Kay graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business education from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1964. After Kin’s specialty training in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Oklahoma City, and two years of Air Force service in Biloxi, Mississippi, the family settled in Norman in 1972.

Kay had a heart for service and a special love for university students and young adults that began at Olivet Baptist Church in Oklahoma City and continued in Biloxi at the base chapel and First Baptist Church. She and Kin opened their home and provided meals and friendship.

In Norman, they led the university program at First Baptist Church for nearly 20 years, hosting holiday gatherings and weekly swim parties, accompanying annual ski trips, and generally serving as a home away from home for many. She maintained a great number of those relationships throughout her life.

For 25 years, Kin and Kay raised racing Appaloosa horses with Kay managing the day-to-day details. Their horses won many races and breeding mares were recognized with awards. In 2019, they were named to the national Appaloosa Racing Hall of Fame.

Kay was involved in her children’s lives in every way possible and also served on various church committees, Oklahoma Appaloosa Racing Association, McClain County 911 Board, Goldsby (Oklahoma) Planning Commission, and was an election official. Holidays and traditions were important to her and she and Kin hosted the same families for Easter at their farm for 35 years.

Survivors include her husband of 61 years, Kin; daughter Keli of Norman and partner Mark Hooper, and son Keith and wife Audrey of Norman; four grandchildren Mallory Ethridge and husband Zack of Conroe, Texas, Trey Pirtle and wife Zoya of Crestview, Florida, Cary Pirtle and Abby Pirtle of Norman; five great-grandchildren Foster Ethridge, Hudson Ethridge, Lily Ethridge, William Nichols Pirtle, and Poet Pirtle.

Private burial will be at the Washington, Oklahoma, Cemetery. Memorial service will be at 2 p.m. on Oct. 22 at First Baptist Church, Norman, Oklahoma, with Mike Bumgarner officiating, and a reception to follow in Hallock Hall. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Buford S. Green Memorial Scholarship at the University of Oklahoma, an endowed fund set up by the Pirtles in honor of their adopted son and brother to provide scholarships for minority students majoring in music education. Gifts can be made by mail to: OU Foundation, PO Box 258856, Oklahoma City, OK 73125. Please note fund #6452000.

Service will be livestreamed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=JPNKH3VwoA

https://youtu.be/JPNKH3V_woA