Judith Blaylock

Judith Lynn Blaylock

December 29, 1944 - December 17, 2024

Judith Lynn Gore Blaylock, known to many as "Judy," of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Sweetheart, Wife, Mom, Mamaw and Great Mamaw passed peacefully into her heavenly home on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, at the age of 79, surrounded by her loved ones at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa.

Born on December 29, 1944, in Neosho, Missouri, Judy was raised in Heavener, Oklahoma, alongside her parents, David and Clyta Gore, and her five siblings. A 1963 graduate of Heavener High School, where she met and fell in love with her high school sweetheart, Jim Blaylock. She and Jim both went on to attend Eastern Oklahoma State College and Oklahoma State University. During the winter semester breaks they would travel home together for the Holidays. Judy had a mischievous and inquisitive spirit. On the Christmas semester break in 1964, as they were driving home, Judy discovered a checkbook in a box of gifts that Jim had packed for Christmas. Being the inquisitive type, Judy browsed through the checkbook and found that a check had been made out to a Jewelry store. That foiled a surprise proposal that Jim had planned for the weekend. The surprise spoiled, Jim stopped at Wister Lake on the way home and proposed on the spot. Judy accepted and the couple were married on January 22, 1965, at her parent's home in Heavener.

Judy's life was defined by her deep love for her family and her dedication to caring for others. She and Jim built a life together, raising two sons, John and Jeremy, and making their home in Springfield, Illinois; Deerfield, Illinois; South Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and eventually, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma where they settled in 1976 after Jim received a job offer in Tulsa which Judy quickly accepted and prepared the family to move back home to Oklahoma.

In 1989, Judy became a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator and devoted many years of her life to serving others as a nursing home manager and quality manager. She retired in 2006, which allowed her to travel with Jim, exploring many places she had always dreamed of visiting. She cherished the beauty of nature, particularly during the fall season, when she and Jim would travel to scenic drives like the Talimena Scenic Drive, the Great Smoky Mountains, and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Judy also took great pleasure in reading about the history of the places they visited, especially the stories of the mountain people near the Peaks of Otter.

The couple normally traveled alone on these foliage tours. However, on one trip to Wilhelmina State Park in Arkansas, Judy decided to invite her best friend Jimmie Cash and her husband John to go with them. Everything went well until they approached the area, when a dense fog appeared and visibility was near zero. The foliage only appeared for a few seconds during a short break in the fog. It was completely blocked for the rest of the day. That trip was often fondly remembered as the "fog tour". In 2023, she completed her "bucket list" with a trip to the Garden of the Gods in Colorado, a fitting culmination of her adventurous spirit.

A lover of family and tradition, Judy became "Mamaw" with the birth of her first grandchild, Taylor Kai Blaylock. She later welcomed three more grandchildren, Austin, Jackson, and Jeren, and two great-grandchildren, Watson and Marley Pulliam. Mamaw found great joy in spending time with her grandchildren and was known for being the "babysitter of choice." She treasured these moments and poured her love into her growing family.

Judy's family was her heart, and her kindness, compassion, and sense of humor made her a beloved figure to all who knew her. She will be deeply missed by her husband of 59 years, Jim; her sons, John and wife Gail Blaylock of Norman, Oklahoma, and Jeremy Blaylock of Oklahoma City; her grandchildren, Taylor, Austin, Jackson, and Jeren; her great-grandchildren, Watson and Marley; her sister, Peggy and husband Joe Harbuck of Poteau, Oklahoma; and her brothers, Jimmy and wife Marlene Gore of Holiday Island, Arkansas, Bobby and wife Jennifer Gore of The Villages, Florida, and Paul and wife Tonya Gore of Heavener, Oklahoma. She is also survived by numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and a wide circle of friends, including many she walked with daily at the Broken Arrow Community Center.

Judy was preceded in death by her parents, David and Clyta Gore, and her sister, Carol and husband Tom Bentley of Shawnee, Oklahoma and her very close long-time, friend, Jimmie Cash, of Galena, Ohio.

A private burial will take place in Heavener, where Judy grew up. A celebration of her life will be held on January 25, 2025, at Rick's Place in Coweta, Oklahoma. Details for the celebration will be provided on this website in the near future.

Judy's love and legacy will live on in the hearts of those she touched, and she will be greatly missed by her family and friends.