Jeanette Dixon Sprague

Jeanette Dixon Sprague died peacefully at home on Wednesday, November 3, surrounded by her loving family.

Jeanette was born in Great Bend, Kansas to Ray Walton McKewon and Jeanette McKewon (née Dixon) in 1951. She was the youngest of four children, and an identical twin.

Moving often due to their father's career as an oil industry executive, the family resided briefly in places including Summit, NJ, Cleveland, OH, and Oklahoma City, but finally settled in Tulsa, OK where she graduated from Edison High School. In her youth, Jeanette was active in synchronized swimming, water skiing, fencing, and forged several friendships that lasted until the end of her life.

Following graduation, Jeanette attended Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, OK, eventually completing her Bachelor's degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Tulsa.

On July 9, 1977, Jeanette married Lowell Sprague in Tulsa, OK and they had two children, Catherine and Nicholas. As a working mother with two young children, Jeanette balanced a full-time job as an accountant at Texaco, studied for the CPA exam, and juggled the unique stressors and demands of being the spouse of a law enforcement officer.

In 1991, Jeanette was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. However, she knew that her family needed her here with them, so she fought the disease valiantly. Her indomitable will and spirit allowed her to beat the cancer, which remained in remission for the rest of her life.

After many years of managing accounting departments at various local corporations, Jeanette retired to spend more time traveling and volunteering. She volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House and the Tulsa Genealogy Center. She was also a passionate dog lover, specifically for rescue dogs and opened her home to many. Jeanette enjoyed exploring places such as Stresa, Italy, Pitlochry, Scotland, and Lugano, Switzerland. She loved the Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone National Park, and Ocean City, MD. However, her fondest memories were of childhood summers spent near the ocean at Wrightsville Beach, NC.

In later life, Jeanette took up drawing and painting, and sharpened her genealogical research skills. However, Jeanette's primary focus in life was her family. Her deep and abiding love didn't just extend to her husband and children, but also to her many nieces, nephews, brother, sisters, and cousins. She was very involved in the lives of her loved ones, taking great interest in their achievements - often acting as a wise counselor and enthusiastic cheerleader.

Jeanette is survived by her husband of 45 years, Lowell Sprague; children: Catherine Brooks and husband Jay of Jenks, OK and Nicholas Sprague and wife Kelley of Annapolis, MD; siblings: Ray McKewon and wife Kim of San Diego, CA and Nancy Crow and husband Tom of North Little Rock, AR. She is also survived by siblings-in-law, many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, cousins and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ray and Jeanette McKewon and twin sister, Dorothy Stafford.

Memorial Donations can be made in Jeanette's memory to the:

Animal Rescue Foundation, Inc.
PO Box 471483
Tulsa, OK 74147-1483

https://www.arftulsa.org/make-a-donation/