Carolyn K. Fried-Decker

Carol was born 07/25/1946 in Urbana, IL and joined her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ when she passed away November 07, 2025, after a long battle with diabetes and many related complications.

Carol was preceded by her grandparents Chris H. Chapman and Sophia Reed Chapman, her sister Patricia Chapman.

Carol is survived by her husband of 35 years, Mark D. Decker Sr. of Oklahoma City; her daughter Brenda Peck, her husband Bryan and 3 grandchildren; daughter Shelly Darlington and her husband Rick from Deland, Fl. and 7 grandchildren 6 great grandchildren; and her son Mark Fried and his wife Rebecca Fried and 2 grandchildren of Norman, OK.; and Mark Decker’s son Mark Decker Jr. of East Point, GA. and daughter Melissa Decker-Brank and her husband Jimmy Brank and their 4 grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister Janice McGaha and husband Jessie McGaha of Salem, SC.

She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, relaxing and telling stories with friends and family, she rarely missed watching OU football games and yelling at the television when they were not playing well; and she supported and watched OSU football until they played OU. She enjoyed watching the OU girls’ basketball and softball teams, Thunder basketball, and Hallmark movies.

She enjoyed going to our former “lake home” at Five Lakes near the Lake of the Arbuckle’s and driving around the community with her Bichon Frise companion “Angel” and visiting with the neighbors. Carol never met a stranger. She enjoyed attending St. Luke’s United Methodist Church and worshiping. Carol loved going to garage sales, estate sales and antique shops, which is the reason our home is decorated in an eclectic style otherwise called homey.

She loved the Lord, she loved reading romance novels, traveling, and gardening. She loved mowing the yard and occasionally would insist on doing it instead of letting Mark do it. And the neighbors had to be on the lookout when she got on a power lawnmower. She had only 2 speeds, stop and full speed ahead!!! She occasionally ran over shrubs and small trees, and Mark would have to get the mower off the tree. Thankfully, she never broke the mower or herself.

Carol and Mark traveled to Houston, TX area several times to see Mark’s children and toured the area. Carol traveled to Kansas, New Mexico and Colorado many times to see Mark Fried and his family; Florida several times to see Shelly and her grandchildren. They traveled to Georgia, and a cruise to St. Thomas, St. Martin, British Virgin Islands, Bermuda and Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area to celebrate our 20th Anniversary. We went on a couple of vacations with longtime friends, Stirling Thomas, Ron Herrin, David Kelly and another one with Robert Brown and LaVerna Salyer.

Carol was the “Life of the Party”. She had the ability to light up the room with her smile and laugh. When she was with a group of people talking, it was sometimes difficult to get a word in edgewise. Carol loved hosting parties, and she made everyone feel wanted and cared for.

Carol was energetic, fun to be around, loving, caring, very generous to her family, and a kind woman. She was vivacious, had an infectious smile and laugh. She loved getting her nails done every month. She had great genetics because she never looked her age and never developed wrinkles. She did not have grey hair until she was 75 years old. She credited her partial Native American heritage for the great genetics. She and her husband Mark collected Native American Artwork and Pottery, books, stemware, Angels and ceramic owls and birds.

She loved the Smokey Mountains in South Carolina where she and her sisters were raised by her grandparents.

Carol lived on an old Plantation in Walhalla, SC and attended Tamassee DAR school with her two sisters Patricia and Janice in Tamassee, SC.

She helped her grandparents by working in the cotton and corn fields, working in the garden, helping her grandmother Sophia can vegetables, carrying water from the well into the house for cooking, washing and laundry. She also carried water to the garden and hand-watered the tomato plants. She enjoyed going to her Aunt Edith and Uncle James’ home in Greenville, S.C. for a week each summer for a vacation.

The family moved to Del City. They lived on base while attending Del City HS. Carol graduated from Del City High in 1964. Carol went to Business school before working for The Economy Company for 7 years. She accepted the position as Secretary III for the Humanities Division in 1973 and retired in July 2009 after 36 years.

Carol met Mark while working part-time at Concho Career Institute. They eloped to get married in Santa Fe, NM on May 1st, 2000, and stayed in a great condo owned by her long-time friends Necia and Tom Miller. Carol and Mark have been married for 25 years.

Carol loved and was very proud of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and would do anything to take care of and provide for them. She really enjoyed being a “Nana” and great grandmother and trying to spoil them. She loved helping Shelly with her children after each of Shelly’s children’s birth. She would schedule 2 weeks of vacation to stay with Shelly to help her and take care of the existing children. Shelly has said that Carol taught her how to be a mother with each trip she made. Carol loved babies and taking care of them. She had great patience with teaching and playing with the little ones. Carol loved reviewing the pictures and videos that her family posted. Carol and Mark attended a few baseball games of Trooper and Ruby.

Carol will be missed by all her family and many long-time friends.

May Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior hold you in his loving arms and give you peace.