Tennie Onice Bright was born January 9, 1937, in Shady Point, Oklahoma, to Truman Arthur Richards and Josie Irene Dickinson Richards. She died Sunday, October 27, 2024, in Owasso, Oklahoma, at the age of 87 years. Tennie completed her secondary education in Panama, Oklahoma, and graduated as Valedictorian of the Panama High School Class of 1955. She continued her education attending Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree and Masters degree in music in 1968. She then began working on her Doctorate in music at the University of Oklahoma.
Tennie was married August 20, 1960, in Panama, Oklahoma, to Jack Bright. She spent most of her professional career as a music teacher at several schools including Claremore, Wagoner, Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Eastwood, and Emmanuel Christian School. Tennie was a strong woman of faith and was a longtime member of First Baptist Church in Tulsa, where she sang with the church choir and women’s ensemble, directed Children’s Choirs and Handchimes, served on several committees, and volunteered in many capacities. She was also a member of the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus and loved music of all kinds. She enjoyed a variety of pastimes, and when she was younger she was a professional water skier. She loved sports especially Sooner football, St. Louis Cardinal baseball and Oklahoma City Thunder basketball. Tennie dearly loved her family, especially her grandchildren who affectionately knew her as “Mim”.
Those she leaves behind who hold many cherished memories include:
Daughter; Jaquina Dobson and husband Brent
Grandchildren; Kaiya Dobson and Kenli Dobson
Sisters; June Foster and Ruby Jo Gibson
and many nieces, nephews and friends she considered family.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Josie Richards, husband, Jack Bright, and brother, Vernon Richards.
Funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, November 2, 2024, at First Baptist Church of Tulsa with Pastor Deron Spoo officiating. Graveside service will be held 2:30 p.m. that afternoon at Shady Point Cemetery in Shady Point, Oklahoma. The family requests memorial contributions be made in Tennie’s memory to the First Baptist Church Caring Center, 420 South Detroit Avenue, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 74120, or John 3:16 Mission, Attn.; Development Department, P.O. Box 1477, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 74101-1477, www.john316mission.org, or Owasso Baptist Children’s Home, 12700 East 76th Street North, Owasso, Oklahoma, 74055.
Tennie Onice Bright January 9, 1937 – October 27, 2024
