Jody was born to Robert Eugene Barnes and Betty Jo Goodman Barnes on October 27, 1947. She grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the only sister to three spunky brothers, her own twin Bobby Barnes, and younger twin brothers, Larry Barnes and Gary Barnes, both still of Tulsa.
After graduating from Webster High School, Jody attended Northeastern State University, graduating in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. While at NSU, Jody met William Robert Terry, an All-American basketball player. Bill and Jody married in 1967, and celebrated their 50th Anniversary in 2017, only a short time before Bill passed away after a sudden illness. The couple raised their two sons, Douglas Anthony and Matthew Brian, in Stroud, Oklahoma. There for twenty years, the two made lifelong friends while both worked as educators for the Stroud public school system.
Jody taught high school English to thousands of Oklahoma high school students in both Stroud and Edmond, and each one no doubt remembers Mrs. Terry’s class. Mrs. Terry’s passion was classic literature; including Chaucer, Shakespeare, Shelley’s Frankenstein, and Beowulf. While essays and chapter tests were part of the curriculum, the trademark feature of Mrs. Terry’s class was costume-clad reenactment and reading of the text. An English teacher appearing as a knight, mad scientist, monster, witch (Macbeth) and clad in a Capulet’s gown certainly kept the students on their toes and engaged. In 2007, Ms. Terry finally agreed to accept the Edmond Santa Fe High School Teacher of the Year award and was proud to be recognized and valued by her students and peers alike. Even years after retirement, Jody could not go anywhere in Stroud or Edmond without at least one person approaching her and saying, “Thank you for being That Teacher”, “the one who made a difference’.
In 1994, Jody and Bill followed their sons to Edmond. Doug is an attorney living in Edmond with his wife Amy and their children, Gabe, Kendall and Madison. Matt joined the Edmond police department and with his wife, Kathy, and their daughter Heather, lived just around the corner from Jody and Bill until shortly before Matt passed away in 2013. Jody had a beautiful and happy life in their adopted hometown, with her devoted husband, joyful sons and daughters-in-law, and four super spoiled grandchildren. When she wasn’t at school or grading term papers, Jody spent the evenings and weekends with Bill, babysitting, watching grandchildren play sports, or prowling dollar stores and Hobby Lobby.
Jody is preceded in death by her parents Bob and Betty Jo; husband Bill; son Matt; and brother Bobby.
She is survived by her son Doug; daughters-in-law Amy and Kathy; four grandchildren: Heather, Gabe, Kendall and Madison; and brothers Larry and Gary.
