Myrl Kathryn Blackwell

Myrl Kathryn Blackwell (nee O’Dell) died peacefully Thursday, September 24, 2020, at her son’s home in Laverne, OK. It was the end of a joyous life: enthusiastically exploring the world and teaching by example how to be gracious. She was 88 years old but was still enjoying life on a daily basis, celebrating often with her children, their spouses, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren.

Myrl was born December 16, 1931, one of 8 children, on a farm in Amarillo, TX. She married Carl Raymond Blackwell (from Amarillo) in 1950 and raised 5 children with joy and enthusiasm while her husband served in the US Air Force. In the 1970s, after having sent 2 of her children off to college (with 3 more to go), she enrolled part time at Oscar Rose Junior College in Midwest City, OK. Then in 1981 she graduated as valedictorian at Central State University in Oklahoma City with a bachelor’s degree in education. She began her teaching career that same year, working as a first-grade teacher for 20 years until she was 70 years old. During that time, she also earned a master’s degree as a reading specialist from CSU. Her teaching career extended from 1981 to 2002, first at Shidler Elementary School in Oklahoma City; then in Naples, Italy, for one year; and finally, at Spencer Elementary School in Oklahoma City. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren also benefited from her fun and enthusiastic teaching style. In 2002 she retired from teaching and lived in Midwest City, OK.

A natural teacher even before she went to college, Myrl taught her children to sing, to play the piano, to cook, to be creative, to sew, to be adventurous, to ask questions, to love learning, and to be exceptional readers. She demonstrated her love for books with routine trips to the library and with storytimes on her lap reading great books. She and her husband raised the children in the Baptist Church, using stories from the Bible to give them a moral compass. Myrl had accepted Christ at an early age, and she played the piano for Soldier Creek Baptist Church for many years.

As the wife of a sergeant in the US Air Force, Myrl was often alone raising the children while her husband served extended tours in Morocco, Guam, Okinawa, and other overseas locations. When her husband was stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, SD, for 8 years during the VietNam War, he was repeatedly sent away for 6 months at a time. During these long absences from her husband, Myrl focused on keeping the children connected to their father, helping them create “letters to Daddy” before they even learned to write. She posted photos of her husband in the kitchen so that he was a part of every day. Alone, she chauffeured 5 kids to music lessons, sporting events, play practices, band practices, ballet lessons, Boy Scouts, Brownies, Girl Scouts, and more. She served as Room Mother, Scout Leader, and cheerleader for her kids’ activities.

After she lost her beloved husband in 1984, she traveled to Naples, Italy, with her daughter’s family and worked as a first-grade teacher for the Department of Defense for one year. She also traveled with and sometimes lived with her different children and their spouses in Washington, DC; New York; Hawai; Colorado; Kentucky; Delaware; Illinois; France; and the UK. Wherever she went, she brought a spirit of adventure and fun; and that attitude is, perhaps, the most valuable life lesson she taught to all.

She is preceded in death by her husband Master Sergeant Carl Raymond Blackwell (“Blackie”) and by her daughter Carla Blackwell of Edmond, OK. She is survived by her daughter Stella Bass of Oklahoma City, OK; son Gus Blackwell (Joanna) of Laverne, OK; daughter Cathy (David) Creagh of Estes Park, CO; daughter Donna (Dr. Michael) Sinclair of Lewes, DE; 5 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren; and a sister, Mateel Brown of Amarillo, TX.