The family of Sonja Kathleen (Kathy) Parker sadly announces that their beloved mother left this world suddenly on June 1, 2025, in Claremore, Oklahoma.

Kathy was born in Beatrice, Nebraska on November 16, 1934, to James B. and Monta C. Hurley. The family eventually moved to Arkansas where she met the handsome young John P. Cooper, Jr. Wanting her to go to college, Kathy's father moved the family to Tulsa so she could attend the University of Tulsa. But she instead married John soon after graduating from high school in 1952. By this time, John was in the U.S. Navy, and Kathy moved near the Naval Submarine Base in Connecticut to be with him. In April 1954, they welcomed a baby girl, Vivian (Vicky) Lynn, who was joined by a sister, Linda Kay, in September 1955. The family moved to Claremore in 1958.

Sadly, the marriage to John ended, and she later married Elmer D. Roberts in 1966. Kathy and Elmer welcomed a son, Elmer D. Roberts, Jr., in August 1970, and the family continued their lives in Claremore. But this marriage also ended in divorce. Kathy finally found her soulmate in Clyde Parker, whom she married in 1979. She was devasted when Clyde passed suddenly in 1997.

When her daughters were still young, Kathy attended dental assistant school and then worked several years for dentists in Claremore and Tulsa. After she married Clyde, she managed their Claremore trucking company business. She retired from the business after his death and spent the next few years looking after her two young grandsons, which was probably more challenging but certainly more rewarding than managing a business.

Kathy loved her children, grandchildren, and great granddaughter with all her heart. They were her whole world, and she made sure that we all knew that. Everything she did was for her cherished family. However, dancing came in a close second, and she was well-known in local square dance groups in Claremore and Tulsa, where she often danced and socialized two to three nights a week. Kathy was also a devoted "pet mom" to an abundance of cats and dogs over the years, including the four pets she sadly leaves behind.

Kathy was preceded in death by her parents; her daughter Linda Cooper Wallace (1991); her husband Clyde Parker (1997); and her beloved daughter-in-law Deborah Purcell Roberts (2021). But she is survived, loved and missed by her children, Vicky Cooper Benedict (Shelton) and Elmer D. Roberts, Jr. (Tania); grandsons Dillon C. Roberts (Morgyn) and Austin D. Roberts (fiancée Kelsi Lawrence); and her precious great granddaughter, Presley Rose. She also leaves behind her long-time dear friend and dance partner, Francis Jones.

True to her kind and giving nature, Kathy continued to help others after her life ended by being an organ donor. She did not want a funeral, but she was never one to turn down a fun party. The family therefore plans to hold a Celebration of Life in the coming weeks.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests you consider a donation to a local animal shelter or rescue group or a charity of your choice.