Karolyn Lee Inhofe Dorrough

Born on February 9, 1943 in Des Moines, Iowa, she died on September 7, 2026 at St John’s Hospital in Tulsa. Karolyn and Glen Dorrough were married in 1976 and shared their deep and abiding love for 50 wonderful years. In 1961 she had moved to Tulsa with her parents and siblings; she graduated from OU and later earned a master’s degree in education from Northeastern State. She is survived by her husband Glen, her son Patrick MacKenna, brother Doug Inhofe and wife Katy, sister Patricia Winter and husband Denny, stepchildren Jeff Dorrough, Juli Dorrough and husband William Jackson and their daughter Zella, grandchildren Elizabeth Clements and husband Ben, Patrick MacKenna, Jr., Mary Katherine MacKenna, Rylie Dorrough and partner Evan, and nephews Bryan Inhofe and Travis Winter, nieces Anna Inhofe Hull, Gabi Inhofe, and Maggie Winter Sydnor. Karolyn taught 1 year of kindergarten at Holland Hall, first grade for 5 years at Lee Elementary, and 18 years of first grade at Monte Cassino, where she decorated her classroom for each season of the year and every holiday. She loved her students, and they—and their parents—loved her right back! Karolyn liked fashionable clothing and was a frequent shopper at Miss Jackson’s in Utica Square. She was a talented artist, one of her impressionist paintings is in the home of her niece Anna. She served in the Young Women’s Association of the Tulsa Boys Home and at Dress for Success, an organization that provided clothing to women released from prison. Karolyn liked to travel and in 1979 she flew to Athens Greece with a small group of Tulsans, viewed the Acropolis and toured the surrounding area by bus, followed by sailing the Mediterranean on a Dutch registered cruise ship. Karolyn and Glen flew to Merida Mexico, a colonial city in the Yucatan founded by Spain in 1542, where they spent two nights in an historic hotel. They rented a car and drove to the Chichen Itza pyramid, climbed to the top of a Mayan holy site, and drove another day to Cancun to fly home. Other travels were to Acapulco, Mexico, to Victoria, British Columbia, to the Grand Bahama Island, and to Barbados as part of a seven-day Caribbean cruise, stopping each night along the chain of Islands until arriving in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was indeed a life well lived! A Memorial Service will be held at All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria Avenue in Tulsa, OK, on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 1 PM. In lieu of flowers, gifts in remembrance of Karolyn may be made to All Souls Unitarian Church, the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, or to any charity of your choice.