Margaret Joan Love left her mortal life behind October 24, 2026 after a brief illness. She was preceded in death by her father, Joseph Harold Carlin of Jenks, OK, her mother, Thelma Craig (Walker) Carlin also of Jenks; husband of 69 years Donald Roy Love of Crestwood, MO; brothers, J. W. Carlin, of Owasso, OK and Charles Arthur Carlin of Dallas, TX. Also preceding Mrs. Love was her youngest son, Donald Stephen Love, of Celebration, FL, his wife Linda Susan(Vitale) Love, and Joan’s beloved sister-in-law, Flora (Blair) Carlin also of Owasso. Mrs. Love is survived by her eldest son, Gerry Owen Love and his wife Stella Kay (Martin) Love, grandsons Christopher Stephen Love of Manassas, VA, Alexander Scott Love and his wife Ashley (Back) Love, great granddaughter Rose Stella-Lyn Love all of Murrysville, PA, beloved sister-in-law Mena Carlin of Dallas Texas. Margaret was also blessed by dozens of close relatives spread all over the country, both too numerous to mention and many lost to memory. The family extends their love to them all.
Mrs. Love was born in her parents’ home February 8, 1933, the first of their three children. She attended Jenks, Oklahoma public schools until her graduation in 1951 where she excelled as an athlete, winning all-conferences honors in basketball, and academically as valedictorian of her graduating class. She also worked in the school administrative offices part time while still in school, and was occasionally called upon to teach classes for younger students as a substitute. She also worked in the local movie theater selling tickets. She worked as an operator for Southwestern Bell and in retail sales for other employers. On August 29, 1951, Margaret (known to members of her family as Joan) married Donald Roy (Don) Love in Jenks Oklahoma.
Don had enlisted in the Navy, and the two of them moved briefly to Long Beach, CA for Don’s basic training. Don was assigned to the USS Helena and was deployed to the Far East. Joan returned to Jenks and gave birth to eldest son, Gerry. After his honorable discharge, their family, including second son, Steve, moved to Stillwater Ok where Don pursued his degree in electrical engineering at Oklahoma State University. After his graduation, Don moved the family to Norman OK where he was employed by Oklahoma Gas & Electric. In the mid 1960s, Joan decided to rejoin the workforce and took a job at a Sears Roebuck catalog store in Norman. She later transferred her employment to a brand new mall outlet for Sears where she served as shipping and receiving supervisor until her retirement in the 1990s.
During most of her adult life, Joan was active in many other activities. She was a Cub Scout den mother to introduce her sons and other boys to an organized culture of discovery. She took them on tours of the local firehouse, newspaper, book bindery and natural history museum. She and Don were avid fishermen and the young scouts were introduced to the joys of camping and fishing. Joan was a dedicated bowler and developed friendships in local leagues for decades. She participated in local and national Women’s International Bowling Congress tournaments with her closest bowling partners almost annually until her retirement from Sears.
After retiring, Don and Joan moved to the outskirts of Adair Ok where they settled in to a quiet life in the country. They had a large lot where they grew vegetables and visited friends and relatives. Games were played, lawns were mowed, hummingbirds were fed, and life was enjoyed in Adair until a broken ankle forced Joan to reassess their circumstances. This lead to a move to Crestwood, Missouri for aftercare by son Gerry. Don passed away in 2019 and Joan maintained their home until 2026 when she moved in with Gerry and Kay at their new address in Murrysville, outside of Pittsburgh PA. The purpose of that move was to assist new parents Alex and Ashley with Joan’s first, and to date only, great grandchild, Rose Stella-Lyn Love. Sadly, that chapter of her life was her last.
Joan will be greatly missed. Her joy, intellect, care and consistency have been an example to us all.
Visitation at Kutis Funeral Home, 10151 Gravois Rd. St. Louis, Mo. 63123, Saturday, November 14th from 10am to 1145am with a service at Sunset Cemetery directly accross the street from the Kutis at 12pm.