Mary Irene Stewart was born on February 8, 1939, in Stewart, Oklahoma, to Jasper Cleve and Ovie Lee Standridge. She was the first of three children, followed by her younger brother, Bob, and her younger sister, Carolyn.

Mary's life was marked by strength from a very young age. When she was only nine years old, she lost her mother. As the oldest child, Mary stepped into a role far beyond her years, helping care for her younger brother and sister. She spent time living with her grandparents before eventually making a home with her father in Bethany, Oklahoma. Those early years helped shape the strong, determined woman she would become.

Mary graduated from Bethany High School in 1957 and went on to pursue a career in nursing. She was a member of the very first nursing class at the old Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City. After completing her training, she began working in the emergency room at Mercy Hospital, beginning a career in nursing that would remain an important part of her life for many years.

On July 28, 1962, Mary married, Kay Francis Stewart, in Gainesville, Texas. Kay already had a young daughter, Sherrie Kay, and Mary welcomed her into her heart and family as her own. Together, Mary and Kay welcomed their first son, Kalen Dale, on June 20, 1963, followed by their youngest son, Jerry Daniel, on January 21, 1967.

Mary spent the next 20 years supporting Kay throughout his career in the United States Navy. Military life meant moving from place to place and learning to make a home wherever they were stationed. It also meant long periods when Kay was away serving overseas, particularly during the Vietnam War. During those times, Mary carried the responsibility of keeping their family together. Money was not always easy in those early years, and Mary would sometimes work two jobs to provide for her family.

She was, in every sense, a devoted mother and wife.

Mary was always involved in Kalen and Jerry's lives. She was the mother who showed up, the one who volunteered at school, served as a homeroom mother, and made sure her boys were where they needed to be. No matter where the Navy moved their family, Mary made sure her children had a church to attend and that their family remained connected to their faith.

Her faith was something she continued to carry throughout her life. It wasn't always perfect, and Mary would have been the first to admit that, but she never stopped trying. Even when her boys were older and no longer wanted to go, Mary would often go to church by herself. She kept searching, kept believing, and kept trying to live out the faith that was important to her.

Mary had a way of making friends wherever life took her. Through nursing, church, neighbors, and the many places her family called home, she formed friendships that lasted for years. Even after moving away, she often kept in touch with the people she had met along the way.

After Kay retired, the two of them enjoyed having more time together. They traveled throughout the West and Northwest, visiting ghost towns, exploring historical places, and sometimes even panning for gold. Those adventures gave them many memories to share and allowed Mary to enjoy some of the simple pleasures of life with her husband.

In 2020, Mary began her battle with dementia. As the disease progressed, her family eventually made the difficult decision to place her in memory care, where she could receive the care and comfort she needed. On September 1, 2026, Mary peacefully passed away in her sleep.

Mary's life was not always easy. She experienced loss at a young age, carried responsibilities beyond her years, spent many years raising a family while her husband served his country, and faced the difficult years of dementia. But through it all, she kept going. She worked hard, loved her family, made friends wherever she went, and did her best to take care of the people she loved.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, Jasper Cleve and Ovie Lee Standridge; Step mother Sarah Katherine Standridge; her brother, Bob Standridge; and her niece, Terri Jech.

She leaves behind her husband, Kay Stewart; her stepdaughter, Sherrie Stewart; her son Kalen Stewart and daughter-in-law Brenda; her son Jerry Stewart and daughter-in-law Tina; her grandson Derek Owen, his wife Aubrey, and great granddaughters Emberly and Adelyn; her granddaughter Jenna Perdue and her husband, Gregory; her sister Carolyn Summers and niece Carrie Kaul, numerous nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

Most of all, Mary leaves behind the memories she made with the people she loved.

She will be remembered as a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, nurse, and friend. She will be remembered for the life she built, the sacrifices she made for her family, the people she welcomed into her heart, and the many miles she traveled beside the man she loved.

Her journey was long, and it was not always easy, but she never stopped moving forward.

Mary was deeply loved, and she will be deeply missed.

Visitation for Mary will be Tuesday, Sept. 8th from 9am-1pm at Sanders Funeral Service Chapel.
Funeral Services will be 1:00pm, Tuesday, Sept. 8 at Sanders Funeral Service Chapel with private family interment at Kingfisher Cemetery.