It is with deep sadness that we share our beautiful mother, Sharlene Emogene Oxley Beil, went to heaven on Wednesday morning, July 30, 2025, at her daughter's home in The Woodlands, Texas.
Just 11 weeks after the passing of her husband, Darrell, to whom she was married for almost 70 years — just two weeks shy of their anniversary — she has now been reunited with him. Our hearts are broken, but they also rest in peace — believing that our father went ahead to prepare a place for them to be together again. What a gift that they didn't have to be apart for long.
Their marriage was more than a promise — it was a sacred union that God Himself joined. For 70 years, Darrell and Sharlene walked in love, faith, and commitment. They faced life's joys and challenges hand in hand, building a home where love was constant, faith was unshakable, and laughter was abundant. Even death could not truly separate them. "Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." — Mark 10:9.
They were true partners in every sense — encouraging one another's dreams, celebrating each other's accomplishments, and standing side by side in all seasons of life. Whether traveling the world or spending quiet evenings at home, their greatest joy was simply being together. Their love was deeply rooted in God and in one another, and it is so beautiful — how their story continues in heaven. What God began in their hearts, He has now made whole in eternity.
Sharlene was born on April 14, 1934, in the Park Hill, Cookson Hills, Cherokee County, Oklahoma, to Joseph and Metty Lois Oxley. At five years old, they moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and later attended Will Rogers High School. Determined to attend a school she felt would better shape her life, she was not upfront about her address so that she could attend Will Rogers. She would take a city bus to a pickup location, then transfer to a school bus to reach the campus. There, she made lifelong friends and participated in the Will Rogers Follies.
While Darrell was in college, a blind date in Tulsa would change both their lives forever. They married on May 28, 1955, beginning a partnership that would carry them through seven decades of shared dreams, joys, and adventures. They first made their home in Fort Worth, Texas, where Darrell began his engineering career and they welcomed their son, Gregory Allen. In 1958, they moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, where they had their daughter, Sherron Lynn (Sherri) — a baby girl who would grow up to be her best friend, and she her daughter's best friend.
She poured her heart into her family, making them the center of her world. There was always a warm dinner waiting at the table so they could sit together as a family, talk about their day, and share their future plans. The home was cared for with love, and she took great pride in sewing beautiful clothes for her daughter Sherri. She always had many colorful flowers in her yard and loved tending to her large, flourishing garden. Her love for interior design and creating beautiful spaces led her to open a gift shop called The Flair in Northwest Oklahoma City.
She lived a life of vitality and curiosity — an avid snow skier, scuba diver, gardener, tennis player, bridge club member, tap dancer, and an exceptional cook and baker. She and Darrell made some of their most wonderful friends at Crown Heights United Methodist Church , where they were in Sunday School class. They remained lifetime friends after 60 years of dinner club parties, ski trips, and going to the lake . Later, they became charter members of St. Luke's Methodist Church.
Skiing became a way of life for them, with travels to as many ski resorts as they could fit into the winter season, creating memories that became a family tradition. Summers and weekends often found them at Lake Tenkiller, where in 1989 they built and cherished a lake home that remains a sanctuary for their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Together, Sharlene and Darrell were lifelong Oklahoma State Cowboy football fans and loyal supporters of the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team. The family would like to give a special thanks to the Thunder for bringing them so much joy through the years, especially when Sharlene was able to see them win the NBA Championship.
Those who had the honor of knowing our mother â€" especially her bridge groups that she enjoyed so much — will remember her quick wit, gracious style, and generous heart. She always had the funniest stories to tell — stories that never got old and that our family will cherish forever.
It was Sharlene's attention to detail that most of us recognized. Whether it was setting a dinner table, writing a note, sending a thank you, she was always thinking of others. Her personality always shined!
Sharlene is survived by her children, Greg Beil of Oklahoma City and Sherri Meaux of The Woodlands, Texas, wife of the late Timothy Meaux; grandsons Blake Meaux and Trent Meaux (Megan); great-grandchildren Avery Meaux, Liam Meaux, Emma Meaux, and Hunter Meaux; her beloved niece and nephews, and her first cousins who have been so dear to her; her Yorkie children, Sophie and Sasha (both deceased) and Sadie, who is still living; and her Grand-Yorkies, Izzy, Spencer, and Myla.
Her life was a testament to living beautifully, loving deeply, and finding joy in every season. And now, her love story with Darrell continues — whole again, in the presence of the Lord.
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." Proverbs 31:25-29
Donations can be made in her honor to the Yorkie Rescue Houston, 6046 FM 2920 #628, Spring, Texas 7737919344 – 2025
A celebration of life will be held at 2:00pm, Thursday, August 14, 2025 at Memorial Park Tulsa Chapel, Tulsa, Oklahoma.