Daintie Oletta Stark's Obituary
Daintie Oletta Stark, a resident of Jay, Oklahoma, passed away May 27, 2022 at the age of 93.
Daintie was the youngest daughter born to Silas Marion May and Rosie Dailey Long May in
Rushing, Arkansas on February 23, 1929. She was preceded in death by her loving husband -
Dexter Levi Stark; eldest son - Dexter Gara Stark; brothers – Carlos Otto May, Bufford Coy May,
Monty Harold May, Owen Leon May, and William Edward (Eddy) May; sisters – Vera Edna Green, Lucy Ellen Johnson, Martha Mildred Trotter, Reva Bell Payne, and Evelyn Alene Erickson. She is survived by her daughter – Linda Carol Stark Tucker (Jay, OK); son – Dennis Leon Stark and husband William Richard Rogers, Jr. (Dallas, TX); grandchildren – Amie Karen Blanton and husband Douglas Blanton (Alpharetta, GA); Christopher Ray Stark (Memphis, TN); Karen Courtney Tucker (Jay, OK); Gerald Patrick Tucker and wife Lillian Renee Tucker (Pryor, OK); great grandchildren – Darby Blanton, Avery Blanton (Alpharetta, GA), Silas Levi Tucker (Jay, OK), and Christopher Rotenberry (Pryor, OK); nieces – Brenda Wren (Cushman, AR), Jackie Jenkins (Twin Falls, ID), Paula Hobson (North Richland Hills, TX) and a host of great nieces, nephews and friends.
Daintie loved the Lord and accepted Him as her personal Savior at the age of 10. She attended
church regularly from a young age. At one church event (a hay ride), she met Dexter when they
were both at the age of 16. Soon after, Dexter took a job as a stock clerk for American Airlines in
Fort Worth in 1944. They commenced nearly a year of writing letters to each other every day
until Daintie received the blessing of her parents to join him. They married on August 9, 1945 in
Fort Worth, TX. While Dexter pursued a growing career at American Airlines, Daintie worked as
a chocolate candy double dipper at Pangburn’s of Texas. Before blessed with their first child,
Dexter Gara on December 10, 1948, they were members of Westside Baptist Church of Fort
Worth. Their second child, Linda Carol was born on March 8, 1951. January of 1952, Dexter
received a promotion which transferred the young family to Nashville, TN. Daintie worked at a
company which made transducers by hand for two years until their third child, Dennis Leon was
born on November 6, 1959. In September 1960, Dexter was promoted again and they were
transferred to Tulsa, OK. In Tulsa, Daintie waited until Dennis began school before returning to
the workforce in 1966 at Lowrance Electronics making components for their patented fish
locators. She continued employment with them for 10 years. Then advanced to an electronic
buyers position at Radio Inc. where she worked for 9 years until she and Dexter both retired. In
Tulsa, the family were members of Skelly Drive Baptist Church where Dexter was a deacon and
Daintie enjoyed teaching children in Sunday school and singing in the church choir . When Dexter retired after 44 years with American Airlines, they moved to Spavinaw, OK where they were
members of the First Baptist Church. In retirement they enjoyed fishing and most of all, their
grandchildren. After 3 years, they moved outside of Jay, OK to a home with some acreage where
Daintie could have a garden and plant wild flowers. On January 1, 1999, her first born, Dexter
Gara passed away suddenly from a heart attack at the age of 50. Then later the same year, on
July 28, the love of her life, Dexter, succumbed to pancreatic cancer. They were sweethearts for
over 54 years.
No stranger to grief, Daintie was the last of her generation, not only surviving and suffering the
death of her parents, brothers, and sisters, but also all of her in-laws as well. Her strength came
from her unwavering faith in God and continued prayer. Most of her adult life she devoted to
teaching young children in Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and the Mother’s Day Out
program, particularly the last several years at First Baptist of Jay, OK. She was also an active
member in the Women’s Missionary Union (WMU – Royal Service) for over 75 years and if there
was a church choir to sing in, she was an active participant of that too! She loved her church
family and missed being with them the past three years due to COVID and her own failing health.
Daintie used to claim modestly that she didn’t have any talents and her children got all of their
talents from their father – which certainly wasn’t true. Particularly she passed on her passion for
music to all three children, but she possessed many other key talents as well. While continuing
full time employment she lovingly raised her three children, was a fastidious house keeper,
excellent cook (dinner on the table every night after work), seamstress, green thumb gardener
and creator of the world’s best potato salad.
Daintie’s Favorite Things
• Reading – She was a voracious reader. She collected many, many books over the years.
Gave many away and still collected more. So many that for the past two Christmases,
Linda and Karen created a Christmas tree out of some of her books – lights and all.
• Watching and feeding the wildlife, especially the deer and hummingbirds.
• Doting on and caring for her fur babies, both cats and dogs.
• Daily teatime with her favorite cup of Earl Grey.
• Wearing caftans – she had a closet full of them!
• Listening to her great-grandson, Levi sing upstairs when he didn’t know anyone was
listening.
• Expressing her strong convictions and opinions about politics and world events. So much
so her son-in-law, Richard often teased he would build her a soapbox to stand on.
• Watching her daughter, Linda busy creating masterpieces with her canvasses and paints.
• Listening to her son, Dennis sing and play the piano.
• Giving loving attention to her grandchildren, now as adults with children
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