Karla Kay Calvert

Karla Kay Calvert September 12, 1964 – February 3, 2016 Karla (Gregg) Calvert was born in Oklahoma City on September 12, 1964, the third child and only daughter of Carl Edward Gregg and Barbara Sue Gregg. Her family moved to Muskogee in 1969. Karla had two older brothers, Larry Carlton Gregg, and Randall Edward Gregg. Karla attended Hilldale Elementary School, Alice Robertson Junior High School, and graduated high school at Boulevard Christian School. Karla received Christ and was Baptized at the First Baptist Church of Muskogee when she was 12 years old. She later joined Boulevard Christian Church with her family. While attending Oklahoma Baptist University in the summer of 1981 Karla met the love of her life David Calvert. They quickly fell in love and became inseparable marrying on January 23, 1982 at Boulevard Christian Church. Karla and David served in youth and music ministry in several churches across Oklahoma and New Mexico. Karla gave birth to her first child, a son, Justin Calvert, on October 4, 1983. On June 30, 1987, she gave birth to her second child, a daughter, Chelsea (Calvert) Brown. Karla adored her children, being a mother and Nanny was the greatest joy of her life. In 1989, the Calverts moved to Muskogee, to be closer to Karla’s parents. David served as a music minister at New Hope Baptist Church, where Karla taught children in Sunday School. Karla and David were no strangers to pain and adversity. Karla’s brother, Larry, was killed in a car accident in 1983. In 1991 her mother was diagnosed with a kidney disease, and her father contracted lung cancer, and died in October of 1991. Six years later, Barbara would pass away from kidney disease in 1997. For 20 years she worked in the dental field in the front office. She also was a devoted wife and mother. While working full-time, she looked after her mother who was ill, through numerous hospitalizations and surgeries. Throughout this time, she remained active in her kids’ school and social lives, supporting them through their many activities. She also loved to throw elaborate and well-planned birthday parties for the kids. Karla loved to travel. Her favorite trips with the family included Hollywood, Orlando, Daytona Beach, New Orleans, Washington D.C., and the Gulf Coast of Florida. Her favorite trips with David included a trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles, traveling the old Highway 1 along the Pacific Coast, a trip through the southern states visiting civil war and revolutionary war sites, a trip along the Atlantic coast covering nine states, and a trip to Jamaica for their 25th anniversary. Karla thoroughly enjoyed being Nanny to her five grandchildren, McKenzie, Isaac, Taya, Cohen and Anderson. She did not get to meet her newest grandchild, Landon David Calvert, but she did get to see his ultrasound image, which made her grin from ear to ear. She loved having the grandkids spend the night, spoiling them in the toy room and with the candy drawer, and taking them on trips to Frontier City and Fin and Feather Resort. Karla also enjoyed gardening, crafts, going shopping for antiques, and collecting things. She loved going to antique shops and malls looking for items to add to her collections. Karla and David joined Boulevard Christian Church in 1995, and she remained a member there until her death. They were active in the Life Group ministry for many years. Later, Karla would become very involved in Celebrate Recovery at Boulevard, which was one of the greatest joys of her life. When Karla became too sick to work, and barely able to attend church, she had an active ministry through Facebook, sharing a daily post consisting of devotional thoughts and Scriptures, and her own personal insight. She had many friends on Facebook, reading and commenting on her daily posts of the encouragement and inspiration they found from her words. Karla started experiencing some severe health problems in 1999, developing back problems that caused her to endure chronic and debilitating pain. In 2014, Karla began developing respiratory problems, and was hospitalized multiple times, becoming dependent upon oxygen. From October of last year until her death, she was in the hospital and on a ventilator a majority of the time. In spite of this illness, her faith and her love for God, her husband, her kids, her grandkids, and her friends never wavered. Her greatest desire was to be healed, and to return to church to give testimony to the love and power of her Lord. When she realized, just days ago, that her healing was not to be in this life, but a complete and total healing in heaven, her first words to the doctor giving her the bad news of the pathology report were, “I know where I am going.” She fought courageously to the end. She will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her. Karla was preceded in death by her brother, Larry, her father, Carl, her mother, Barbara, and her beloved father-in-law, Virgle Calvert. She leaves to grieve her passing her husband, David of the home, her children, Justin Calvert and his wife, Whitney, and Chelsea (Calvert) Brown and her husband, Stephen, her mother-in-law, Doris Calvert, five grandchildren, McKenzie, Isaac, Taya and Cohen Brown, and Anderson Calvert, a brother, Randall Gregg, her “other parents,” Rich and Paula Pearson of Kansas, and a host of friends and former coworkers. The family suggests, in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to the Celebrate Recovery Ministry at Boulevard Christian Church or the charity of their choice. A Celebration of Karla’s Life will be 10:00 A.M., Saturday, February 6, 2016 at Boulevard Christian Church with Minister James McCracken and Minister Steve Moss officiating. Funeral services are under the direction of Cornerstone Funeral Home, 1830 N. York Street, Muskogee. Condolences may be made to the family online @ www.cornerstoneofmuskogee.com.

Karla Kay Calvert

September 12, 1964 - February 3, 2016