On New Year's Eve 2025, Elise James Kroll Farris, lovingly known as "Jamie," passed from this world and gained her angel's wings, surrounded by her family after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson's disease.

Jamie was born on April 21, 1948, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Wilmer and Sadie Marie Kroll. Family meant everything to Jamie, and she was born into a loving home that shaped her throughout her life. She was especially close to her father, affectionately known as "Pop Pop," and welcomed her younger brother, Mark, into the family eight years later. Jamie was a doting big sister, often tasked with watching over her brother—when she wasn't pushing him down a hill in his stroller.

Wilmer's successful career led the family through several moves. After her early childhood in Baltimore, the family settled in Framingham, Massachusetts, where Jamie spent her formative years. There, she developed a lifelong love of the water and the ocean. Many weekends were spent on Cape Cod, with Horseneck Bay becoming her favorite beach. It was there that her father taught her how to swim in the ocean, navigate the undertow, and catch crabs for dinner. No matter how cold the water, Jamie always felt a deep connection to it.

During the winter months, Jamie loved ice skating on Framingham Lake, often playing "Crack the Whip" with her father spinning children around until they all fell. She also cherished family trips to Vermont and New Hampshire to see the fall leaves, never passing a historical marker without stopping to read every word. Family visits to her mother's hometown of Gray, Iowa, were frequent, where Jamie earned a reputation as a bit of a daredevil—fearlessly climbing the town's water tower or scaling the local school's fire escape just for the thrill.

After a wonderful childhood in the Northeast, the family moved to Kansas City during Jamie's high school years. While waiting to close on their new home, they lived temporarily at the White Haven Motor Lodge, where Jamie developed an affinity for swimming pools. She would spend entire days poolside, lathered in baby oil and sunburned to a crisp. Jamie was social and active in high school, enjoying drag racing down Ward Parkway, shopping at The Jones Store, eating at Winstead's, and collecting 45s. She also adored animals—especially cats—and was known for bringing home every stray she encountered, a habit that continued throughout her life.

After graduating from Notre Dame de Sion High School, Jamie enrolled at Stephens College to study fashion, which would become a lifelong passion. While in college, she met Joe Farris, beginning the next chapter of her journey. During Joe's deployment to Germany, Jamie traveled Europe aboard cargo planes. Together, they embraced adventure across the continent—from Oktoberfest in Munich to eating fresh squid in Greece. Living abroad as the wife of a military officer during wartime was both challenging and exhilarating, and Jamie met it with enthusiasm and grace.

In February 1972, Jamie stepped into her most cherished role with the birth of her first daughter, Regan Marie. Ever the devoted mother, more than a year passed before the family returned stateside to share their joy with extended family. Seven years later, Jamie and Joe welcomed their second daughter, Frances Blythe, completing their family.

The family eventually made Tulsa their permanent home, where Jamie built a successful career in fashion and retail. With impeccable taste and a keen eye for trends, she helped launch several beloved clothing stores that became staples of the local fashion scene. A true people person, Jamie loved her customers as much as they loved her, forming lifelong friendships and earning deep respect for her professionalism.

Despite working full-time, Jamie was a devoted and present mother, deeply involved in her daughters' schools and the community. She rarely missed a school function and was affectionately known as the "cool mom." Her home was always open, filled with love, laughter, and warmth. She especially shined during school carpools and family summers spent cruising Grand Lake aboard her parents' wooden cruiser, Pegasus. Jamie loved to travel—whether road-tripping across the country in a Buick station wagon or flying to faraway destinations—always valuing time spent together.

Annual trips to Captiva Island with her parents and brother's family became a cherished Kroll family tradition. Florida held a special place in Jamie's heart, and the ocean fueled her spirit. Family dinners at the Mucky Duck and Green Flash, paired with sunset walks on the beach, created treasured memories. Jamie was happiest in a swimsuit by the water, a cocktail—especially a Salty Dog—in hand, with her family close by.

Jamie was a woman of faith with an extraordinary spirit and a compassionate heart. Stunningly beautiful and effortlessly stylish, she was known for her signature long black hair and ever-present smile. To her five grandchildren, she was "YaYa," a beloved figure whose arrival often meant trips to Braum's for ice cream—or presents. She was a constant presence in their lives and the true matriarch of the family.

Jamie was preceded in death by her parents, Sadie Marie and W.E. "Bill" Kroll. She is survived by her daughters, Regan Farris Leake and her husband Jim of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and their children Olivia, Cameron, and Victoria; and Frances Blythe Dee and her husband Kato of Timnath, Colorado, and their children Hunter and Hayden. She is also survived by her brother, Mark Kroll, and his wife Pam of Kansas City, Kansas; her nephew Barrett Kroll (Abby); her niece Madison Kroll (Connor Oakes); and many lifelong friends who will forever cherish the memories they shared with her.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Sapulpa Furry Friends.

Sapulpa Furry Friends

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