Mary Elizabeth (Maribeth) Ford Pate, 93, passed away on June 7, 2022, in Dallas, Texas. She was born in Sentinel, Okla. on April 22, 1929, the second daughter of Edith Renimae Hammons Ford and Edward Clay Ford. Her birth date was the 40th anniversary of the famous Oklahoma Land Run of 1889. She went by Maribeth to many of her friends and simply B to her family.
Maribeth spent her early childhood years in western Oklahoma on the edge of the devastating Dust Bowl before her parents relocated the family of seven to Norman in 1940. They chose Norman because her father Clay was insistent his children have access to a college education. Each of the children graduated from the University of Oklahoma over a 16-year period when the University was never without a Ford child enrolled in the institution.
In turn, these five siblings have been passionately loyal to all aspects of the University of Oklahoma. The four girls and young son lived on University Boulevard as Clay worked for USF&G Insurance and ultimately built an independent insurance brokerage with several partners.
Maribeth was active at Norman High School and carried her love of music and choral groups on with her to the University. While in college, she was a proud and active member of her sorority, Gamma Phi Beta. The four sisters, along with a cousin have long been supporters and contributors to the sorority.
After receiving her business degree from the University in 1951, she began her career in advertising at Rothschild’s Department Store in Oklahoma City. Later, she moved to work with student publications, including the Oklahoma Daily at the University of Oklahoma where she met her husband, Jim. They married on June 10, 1954 at the First Presbyterian Church in Norman. They resided in Madill from 1956 to1989 where they raised their four children.
Jointly, Jim and Maribeth oversaw publication of The Madill Record, a Pate family-owned newspaper from 1929 until 1994. Maribeth published a column “Maribeth’s Meanderings” for many years of the couple’s ownership of the local newspaper. After turning over management of the Record to their son Herb, they retired and relocated to the Dallas area. While in Dallas, they were active members of First Presbyterian Church. They were also founding members of the First Presbyterian Church in Madill.
Maribeth was preceded in death by her parents Edith and Clay Ford; siblings Wilma Jean Price and John Ford; husband James Littleton Pate; and son Herbert James Pate II.
She is survived by two siblings, Jane Austin and husband Paul and Judy Schweitzer and husband Art; three children, Martha Jean (Marti) Gallardo and husband Armando, Laura Jane (Lauri) Kimball and husband Tom, all of Dallas, Texas, and William Clay (Bill) Pate and wife Kathe of Houston, Texas; grandchildren, Jessica Gallardo Romoff, James Gallardo, Kathryn (Katye B) Vance, Keely Pate Pryor, Jennifer Pate Higgs, Bryant Gardner Pate, Emily Pate, Catie Rose Pate and Avery Sullivan Moore; ten great-grandchildren and was blessed in life with a host of nieces, nephews and cousins of various degrees who enjoyed her company and were warmly loved by B. Few people loved and were as fiercely loyal to family as Mary Elizabeth (Ford) Pate.
Visitation were held Friday, June 10, 2022 at the Watts Funeral Home in Madill, Okla. from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Graveside service were 10:00 a.m., Saturday, June 11, 2022, at the Woodberry-Forest Cemetery in Madill, Okla. Mike Dukes officiated the service. Services were under the direction of Watts Funeral Home in Madill, Okla. Condolences may be sent to wattsfuneralhome.com.
In lieu of flowers, the family recommends memorials be made to Fran Drummond Day Care Center in Madill or The Stewpot in Dallas, Texas.