Marilyn Massey

Marilyn Lee Massey passed away peacefully at home on November 21, 2025, with family at her side in Oklahoma City. She was 97 years of age. Marilyn was born in Tulsa on November 15, 1928, to Cecil Paul Brown and Leone Rachel Brown. She was the eldest of three children.

She attended Classen High School in Oklahoma City before going to Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri and later earning her bachelor’s degree in art at The University of Oklahoma in Norman where she was a calendar girl and a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority.

She married John Massey in 1950 and moved to New York City where she gave birth to her first son, George. She later moved to Kansas where she gave birth to her second son, John. In 1960 she moved to Oklahoma City and gave birth to her third son, David. She was a kindergarten teacher for many years and substitute teacher at Belle Isle Elementary and Heritage Hall.

She spent many years active in her sons’ sports, particularly wrestling, and became well known for managing the wrestling brackets for freestyle and Greco-Roman tournaments in the Oklahoma City area throughout the 1970’s. Many a Saturday morning started long before sunrise to travel to small towns all over Oklahoma for wrestling tournaments. She drove to national wrestling tournaments in Chicago, Omaha and Lincoln.

She was a mega-Sooners fan, especially for football attending virtually all home games from the 1960’s until deep into the 2000’s. The trip to Dallas for the Red River Shoot Out was a must. She enjoyed trips to the Bowl Games in Miami and Houston as well.

She spent many years managing estate sales, making many friends through all these grand experiences. She was an avid paper doll collector and artist. She traveled most of the United States and made many trips to Mexico and Costa Rica. She attended Westminster Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City.

Marilyn led a blessed and healthy life right to her last day. She was a beloved mother and grandmother. Family was always most important. She loved hearing family stories as much as telling them. Marilyn embodied all good things we envision in a wonderful person, mother, grandmother, sister and aunt. She always had time for family. There was no end to the ways she helped and supported others. She was generous in many ways, most especially with her time. Her sage advice was always spot on. She was known for her kindness and stability.

She is survived by her brother Gordon Brown, her sister Sharon and brother-in-law Roy Love, her three sons and their spouses George Eastman and Eileen Massey of Eufaula, Oklahoma, John Massey of Oklahoma City, David Lynn and Yulieth Massey of Houston, Texas, and her four grandchildren, Jennifer Ryan Massey of Bonita Springs, Florida, David Eastman Ward of Tulsa and Mateo Lynn Massey and Samantha Lee Massey of Houston, Texas as well as many in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.

A graveside service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, November 29, 2025 at Memorial Park Cemetery. Arrangements are made by Hahn-Cook/Street & Draper Funeral Directors.