Obituaries

Linda Kay McDougal passed from this life on September 7, 2026, at the age of 84.

Born in Durant, Oklahoma, the daughter of Choc and Winona Harrison, Linda lived her life with humor, integrity, grit, work ethic, and a passion for all things excellent--especially in the field of education. She inspired her children and countless classroom “children” to reach new heights of curiosity, experiences, and educational attainment.

As a single mother, she faced challenges to both provide and protect. Yet she did so. She was a fierce advocate for her boys creating life-changing opportunities for them that she never had while teaching them unconditional love. Crucial in her work as a mother was a faithful and loving community that supported her and to which she gave full credit for helping raise her boys. With her, those families, the “communion of saints”, provided love and life for her children.

Linda began her own educational career in Durant, Oklahoma. Despite being an extremely young new mother with a limited family educational history or opportunity, she had a passion for learning and for the art of teaching. She obtained her undergraduate and masters degrees at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. She began her formal teaching career in the Sherman and Howe ISDs. In Sherman, she was one of the first to teach special education and helped introduce the Head Start program to the Sherman schools, taking her oldest son with her on many family/home visits with Head Start families, providing an early education for him as well. She taught at multiple elementary schools in Sherman including Crutchfield, Jefferson (Intermediate), Jefferson (Primary), Perrin, Douglas, and Washington, ultimately serving as an interim Principal at Washington. She was a legendary middle school teacher at Howe Middle School. Beginning in the 1960’s, and even as a young mother and teacher, she knew the value of creativity in the classroom. In an era of “rows of desks,” she created learning centers based around a “home” she created out of her classroom, including a kitchen, living area, and library, with multiple learning centers reaching out to children of different levels. She embodied the art of teaching and reached children “where they were”; teaching the individual child, not merely the curriculum, for over 30 years.

After her retirement, she continued the life she loved with students in higher education serving as a sorority and fraternity house mother at Florida State University, the University of Idaho, Kansas State University, and the University of Arkansas. She loved those young adults as she had her students, never losing the opportunity to provide advice and instruction. She could be tough on both students and adults alike, but usually because she had such high expectations for them as well as for herself. Mediocrity, ignorance, intolerance, and laziness were her bitter enemies.

In her life, she taught students, her sons, grandsons and family, the value of education, working hard, commitment to others especially for those less fortunate, living and loving fully and never being bashful of doing the right thing and holding others accountable in the process. Her best job was undoubtedly as “MeMom”--grandmother to her 6 grandchildren.

Linda is survived by a grateful family, sons Cary (Diane) and Alan (Natalie); grandchildren Ryan McDougal (Kathleen), Mitchell McDougal (Kelsey), Nicholas McDougal (Morgan), William McDougal (Leah), Jaxon McDougal, and Maxwell McDougal; and, great- grandchildren, Virginia Kay McDougal, Brader McDougal, and Luke McDougal, as well as dear cousins Larry and Jan Porter. Special gratitude to daughters-in-law Diane, Britt and Natalie who provided support and patience in abundance as well as Janet Ventura and the staff at Celebration Senior Living, and Birdie Home Hospice.

The family will observe a private tribute to her. Memorial contributions may be made to the Sherman Educational Foundation of the S.I.S.D.