Gloria Faith Crenshaw's Obituary
Gloria Faith Crenshaw, known to all who loved her simply as Faith, passed away on July 7, 2026 at her Broken Arrow residence. She was 80 years old.
Faith was born September 18, 1945, in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, the daughter of Abraham and Mae Blossom (Wisenhunt) LaPoff. Life asked much of Faith early on. Her father passed when she was just 10 years old, and she lost her mother at 17, after which she moved to Meridian, Mississippi to live with her older sister. Faith often said she grew up very poor, and she carried a fierce, quiet pride in everything she built for herself and her family from those humble beginnings.
She graduated from Galena Park High School with the Class of 1963, where she was a member of the Rainbow Girls. She went on to work for the assistant district attorney in Jackson, Mississippi, before her husband's career with Sherwin Williams brought the family to Tulsa, Oklahoma.
It was after the move to Oklahoma that Faith began what would become a remarkable 54-year career with Mortgage Clearing Corporation - a career so enduring that, at the time of her passing, she was still in active service with her company family that was so dear to her.
It was in Meridian, Mississippi that Faith met the love of her life,
Tom Crenshaw, at the paint store where he worked. Tom took her across the street for coffee, and from that day on, the two never left each other's side. Faith and Tom were married on March 1, 1964, at Highland Baptist Church in Meridian.
Faith and Tom raised their children in Bixby, where being a devoted mother meant keeping her kids busy, engaged, and involved in everything - sports, activities, church, and more. Above all, it mattered deeply to her that her children made it through college and had every opportunity to have the very best in life. She coached her daughter's soccer team, played soccer herself in Bixby, and was an active member of both the Bixby Soccer Club and the Women's Enjoyable Soccer Society.
Faith's faith was central to who she was. She taught Sunday school for years at Riverview Baptist Church and instilled her love for Jesus Christ in all of the family.
Those who knew Faith knew her love language was in her hands - sewing and cooking. She was a wonderful seamstress, making clothing, twirling costumes, and every one of her children's Halloween costumes through the years. In the kitchen, she was in her element: a wonderful baker known for her exceptional eclairs, and a woman who believed anything worth eating was double battered, deep fried, or made with two full sticks of butter. She never missed a chance to celebrate a holiday tradition with a full table, and she was, without question, a chocolate person through and through. Faith showed her love by cooking for the people she cared about - and if she truly loved you, she made you her double battered chicken fried steak.
Faith was fiercely independent and deeply family-oriented. She measured her life not by what she was given, but by how far she'd come, and she took great pride in all she had built. She adored her Pomeranians and the joy they brought her every day.
Faith was preceded in death by her husband, Tom; her parents, Abraham and Mae Blossom LaPoff; and her sister, Mackie Sterling.
Faith is survived by her three children, Tammy Kowalski and her husband, Nathan; Kim Crenshaw; and Thomas Jerry Crenshaw Jr. and his wife, Lauren; her beautiful grandchildren, whom she and Tom cherished together - Jessica Benitone and her husband, Caleb; Grace Kowalski; Bailey McLaughlin; Brett McLaughlin; Brian McLaughlin; Thomas Crenshaw III; and Gabrielle Crenshaw; and her great-granddaughter, Hazel.
A funeral ceremony will be held11 AM Friday, July 17 in the Rivercrest Chapel, followed by a reception. Faith will be laid to rest beside her husband at Bixby Cemetery.
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