Mary Margaret Dunkin of Stillwater, Ok, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and educator, passed away peacefully on May 28, 2025 at Stillwater Medical Center. Her final weeks were accompanied by her husband Stephen, and two sons, Christopher and Matthew, as well as numerous extended family and friends to share their love and heartfelt memories before her passing.

Mary was born to Dorothy Virginia Otey and John Edwin Gage in Stillwater, OK. She was the second of four siblings: older sister Dorothy Ruth Mayfield, younger sister Virginia Ann Lynn, and younger brother John Charles Gage. Her youth was fondly spent on the family cattle farm and in downtown Stillwater helping customers at the Gage Western Store. Mary graduated from Stillwater High School in 1962. She was very involved in high school activities and voted "S" club queen. Even years later, she enjoyed helping organize reunions and stayed connected with her high school classmates.

Mary went to Oklahoma State University and received a B.S. in Vocational Education. She was a devoted member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority and maintained a lifelong relationship with her sorority sisters. Soon after graduation, Mary found herself teaching in the small town of Stafford, KS where she met and married her lifelong love, Stephen Lee Dunkin on October 21, 1967. In fulfillment of Steve's military service with the Air Force during the Vietnam war, they embarked on a tour in Okinawa, Japan where their first son, Christopher, was born. Upon returning to the United States a few years later, Mary pursued her passion for education, earning a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education. She held roles in the management of several early childhood care centers and taught college vocational courses in Oklahoma. Their second son, Matthew, was born in Oklahoma City, OK. As the boys grew, Steve and Mary's home in Nichols Hills, OK was always filled with the children of family, neighbors, and friends. She often led the kids in fun activities and trips to parks and museums.

In 1989, Mary moved with her family to the greater Kansas City area and settled in Fairway, Kansas. Mary found a new career path in Kansas City teaching and leading medical school preparatory courses for nearly 20 years. Initially, Mary was hired for a part-time position, but her role quickly grew into overseeing a program at the University of Missouri - Kansas City. She later directed a similar program at the University of Kansas Medical Center and eventually launched her own initiative, Best MedPrep, supporting aspiring medical students at the University of Kansas. Through her work, Mary helped countless pre-med students excel on the MCAT and provided valuable guidance in crafting strong personal statements for medical school applications.

Her later life was spent with Steve providing support to the residents of the two Kansas Veteran Retirement Communities in Dodge City and Winfield, KS until Steve retired in 2015. Eventually, Mary and Steve returned to Stillwater in 2020 to enjoy their later life surrounded by her family and friends.

Mary loved people, projects, and crafts. She was known for her caring and would help any family, friend, or acquaintance in need. Often helping furnish an apartment for someone getting back on their feet, providing art supplies for schools, sheltering family and friends whenever asked, and giving to any and all in any way she could, Mary dedicated her life to helping others. Mary loved to craft and enjoyed a variety of activities like watercolor painting, leatherwork, soap making, scrapbooking, sewing, and rug hooking, and recently enjoyed participating in the quilting club. Coming from a family of artists, she was constantly trying to master a new skill and enjoy the results of her efforts. She also loved to read and had an obsession for mystery books. Her self-proclaimed loves were of "children, dogs, horses, comfortable clothes, and finding a bargain."

Mary's warmth, intelligence, and kindness touched countless lives. She is survived by her devoted husband of 57 years, Stephen Lee Dunkin; her two sons, Christopher Lee Dunkin and his wife Diane, and Matthew James Dunkin and his wife Parisa; her treasured grandchildren, Lily, Sophia, Maximo, and Sam; and her loving siblings, Dorothy Ruth Mayfield, Virginia Ann Lynn, and John Charles Gage.

Mary's legacy lives on in the family she adored, friends she was close to and the generations of students and professionals she inspired. A memorial service to celebrate Mary's life will be held at 1PM Saturday, July 26, 2025, in the Bennett Chapel on OSU campus.