Laura Jean Prochaska's Obituary
Laura Jean (Rennie) Prochaska
December 11, 1957 – October 20, 2025
Laura Jean Prochaska was born on December 11, 1957, in Columbus, Ohio, to Marjorie (Fry) Rennie and James Jeffrey Rennie. She grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and later made her home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she spent her adult life surrounded by family and dear friends.
Laura attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, where she studied Special Education. She began her teaching career in Enid, Oklahoma, before returning to Tulsa after the tragic passing of her then-fiancé. Not long after, she met the love of her life, Mark Wayne Prochaska, who says he still can’t believe it, because Laura was and is, quote “so out of his league.” The two were married on June 27, 1987, at Grace Fellowship Chapel in Tulsa, where they also attended church for many years. Grace Fellowship was more than just a church to them; it was a home filled with faith, laughter, and lifelong friendships that remain close and dear to this day. Especially, their beloved Sunday school class: The Wisdom Seekers.
Laura’s professional life reflected her servant’s heart and passion for helping others. She began her career teaching at Glenwood Elementary in Enid before moving to Tulsa, where she worked at City of Faith as an administrative assistant for the doctors in the surgery department (and where she met Mark!). Over the years, she served in administrative and human resource roles—including at Hearing Aid Center—located within City of Faith, Pacific Care of Oklahoma, JM Eagle, and the Tulsa Public Library. She also spent cherished years at home as “the best stay-at-home mom ever” and later returned to teaching as a computer teacher at Grace Fellowship Christian School. One of her most meaningful roles was as a human resources specialist at Independent Opportunities, Inc. (IOI), where she supported adults with disabilities in living independent, fulfilling lives.
A woman of endless curiosity and creativity, Laura filled her days with hobbies and passions that reflected her love for life. She was an incredibly talented seamstress, sewing beautiful dresses for herself and her daughters. She had a soft spot for Mary Engelbreit collectibles and little pigs: both of which can still be found happily scattered throughout the Prochaska home. She adored reading, studying the Bible, cheering on both the Ohio State Buckeyes and Oklahoma Sooners, crocheting blankets for her beloved grandbabies and even her “grand-pups,” watercolor painting, and practicing calligraphy. She was also an avid cook and baker (especially famous for her cowboy cookies) and loved reading and experimenting with recipes. In her own words, she saw herself as a Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman of her own home.
One of Laura’s greatest passions was her involvement with Life Light, a Tulsa-based nonprofit supporting young women in crisis pregnancy situations. She poured her heart into the work as one of the secretaries of the organization.
Above all else, Laura’s greatest joy and proudest accomplishment was being a mom. She would say her life’s most meaningful work was raising her two daughters, Ali Grace and Chloe Elizabeth, and watching them grow into the women they are today.
Laura will be remembered for her “EXTRA!” personality, her animal print leggings and accessories, her animated storytelling, the hyperbolizing of literally everything, her fierce love for her family, her creative spirit, and her unwavering faith. Her warmth, wit, and humor touched everyone she met, and her legacy as THE QUEEN OF EVERYTHING will continue in the love she poured into her family, her friends, and her work. She always told us she would be the court jester in heaven, and we have no doubt her unbridled, unfiltered tongue is keeping the angels on their toes.
Laura is preceded in death by her parents, Marjorie and James Rennie, and her sister, Brenda Sue Rennie.
She is survived by her devoted husband, Mark Wayne Prochaska of Tulsa, OK; her daughters, Ali Collins and “son-in-love” Kelton Collins and their children Jesper (3) and Willow (6 months) of Estero, Florida; and Chloe and “son-in-love” Jake Draper of Denver, Colorado. She is also survived by her sister, Stephanie Sanchez, and her husband Claudio Sanchez of Plainfield, Illinois; and by her brother, James Jeffry Rennie and his wife Lori Rennie of Centerburg, Ohio.
She is also survived by many nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, and several beloved cousins.
The visitation will be from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at Floral Haven Funeral Home, and the funeral service will be at 10:00 AM, Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at Floral Haven Funeral Home Chapel.
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