Born in Lubbock, Texas, on March 12, 1950, Mary Sosa passed away in Oklahoma City on September 21, 2020. Mary moved to Oklahoma in 1966 to attend Guthrie Job Corps and after two years, married and relocated to Oklahoma City. Mary soon found herself a single mother and worked diligently to provide a home and a better life for her two daughters. She eventually earned her GED and attended Rose State College (then Oscar Rose College) in Midwest City. Mary worked for the City of Oklahoma City and retired in 2005 after 26 years of service as a Communication Dispatcher.
Over the course of her 50 years in Oklahoma City, Mary volunteered for numerous organizations and programs throughout the Metro Area. She became a strong advocate for parents and families in Oklahoma City Public Schools. She served as the PTA President for Lee Elementary raising over $12,000 to build a new playground. At Capitol Hill High, she guided the PTA as Treasurer and was eventually recognized for her work as Outstanding Parent Volunteer from Moon Middle School. In addition, she served on the OKCPS Superintendent’s Diversity Council.
Mary believed in strong communities and neighborhoods and she led by example. Her passion shined through her work with Neighborhood Alliance and as the College Hill Neighborhood President, where she wrote and secured two grants totaling $20,000 to purchase security lights for the area surrounding Mount St. Mary High School. She also assisted with grants that helped fund the Strong Neighborhood Initiative and coordinated projects such as National Night Out and OKC Litter Blitz. Mary was known for her work in the Capitol Hill area serving on the Oklahoma County Metropolitan Library Commission and the Community Action Agency. For this, the Kiwanis of South Oklahoma City recognized her with their Distinguished Service Award in July of 1997.
Mary was fluent in English and Spanish and often used this skillset to serve as a translator for the American Red Cross and UR Special Ministries. She also traveled to Honduras for Missions with Memorial Church of Christ and Day Springs Church of Christ.
Her love of south Oklahoma City and building strong communities led her to become a pillar in the Latino community, where she championed efforts to have Manuel Perez Park revitalized. Noticing a lack of representation at the Capitol, she ran for House of Representatives District 89 in 2014, making her the first Latina to run for a state office. Mary loved working with youth. As a member of the League of United Latin American Citizens, she helped develop the LULAC Youth Council and traveled to many conferences to ensure students particularly in south Oklahoma City had opportunities for leadership development.
Mary’s goal in life was to leave a better world than what she had. She often quoted President Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” This is what Country represented to her: “My God, my family, my neighborhood, my city, my state, my country and my world.” She was a true advocate in every sense of the word and she sought to do her part at all levels from her neighborhood block to the Capitol.
Mary is survived by her two daughters: Elvira Sumlin and husband Demetrious of Oklahoma City and Stephanie Armstrong of Oklahoma City; five grandchildren: Quincy, 28, Zachery, 26, Esteban, 21, Cristina, 18, and Cristian, 16 and two great grandsons Jailen, 7, Silas, 18 mos, and one expected great granddaughter, all of Oklahoma City. Mary was a member of Eastside Church of Christ.
A memorial service will be held on October 3, 2020, at 2:00 pm at Oklahoma Christian University, Garvey Center, 2501 E. Memorial Rd, Edmond, OK. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate to a fund that has been established in Mary’s honor to help further revitalize Manuel Perez Park in South Oklahoma City. Contributions can be made to the Oklahoma City Community Foundation – The Mary Sosa Memorial Fund.
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