Carolyn Berry

Carolyn Berry passed away peacefully January 21, 2026, with her daughter and son-in-law by her side. Her family is grateful to God that she is finally able to rest and be reunited with her loved ones. 

Carolyn was born August 27, 1948, in Guthrie, Oklahoma to Pearle and Dorotha (Wicks) Long. She attended Guthrie High School where she was pep squad president, a member of the drama club, active in theatre, and attended Girls' State. After graduating high school in 1966, she attended Oklahoma State University and graduated in 1971 with a degree in speech communications and theatre. She went on to get her Master of Arts degree in speech communications and theatre in 1973. While attending OSU, Carolyn was an actress in 18 plays held at the university. She also worked part-time at the OSU Theatre Department and was the OSU Theatre Guild President. After graduating, she moved to Ponca City to begin her forty-year public-school teaching career. 

While in Ponca, Carolyn married Max Berry on July 1, 1974. On November 4, 1978, Max and Carolyn welcomed their daughter, Amanda. Carolyn taught speech, theatre, drama, debate, service-learning, television broadcasting, and English at East Junior High and Ponca City High School. During her time at Ponca City High School, Po-Hi was named a National Service Learning Leader School where the school was honored in Washington D.C. Berry was a steadfast champion for kids and public education. 

While she loved being in the classroom with her students, acting was Carolyn's true passion. She frequently starred in plays at the Ponca Playhouse and Poncan Theatre with her husband, Max, serving as stage manager much of the time. They were quite a pair - Carolyn on stage and Max running the show backstage. A few of her favorite plays included A Streetcar Named Desire, Forty Carats, Laura, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, Same Time Next Year, Chapter Two, and the femaleversion of The Odd Couple (her daughter's favorite).

 Berry was an active and proud citizen of Ponca City. She was a graduate of the first class of Leadership Ponca City, a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma, an officer of the Kay County Bar Association Auxiliary, a member of both NEA and OEA, and a member of the Ponca Playhouse Board.

 Carolyn is survived by her daughter, Amanda (Berry) Stephens and her husband, Andrew; grandchildren, Max, Henry and Benjamin; cousin Charlene (Brown) Gibson and family; Barbara Yarbrough and family; sister-in-law and brother-in-law Barbara and Ed Smith; niece Shandee Harrell and family; nephew Chris Smith and family; and her best friend, Sharon (Cordis) Johnston (YMBB!). 

She is preceded in death by her husband, Max, both parents, her Grandmother Wicks, and sister Lauretta Long. 

If you wish to make a donation in Carolyn's honor, please consider giving to two of the places she loved most - the Ponca Playhouse (301 S. 1 st St., Ponca City, Oklahoma 74601) and the Ponca City Public School Foundation (PO Box 522, Ponca City, Oklahoma 74602) (Paypal.me@PCPSFoundation).

Services have been entrusted to Schaudt Funeral Service. Friends & family may leave condolences and kind words of comfort at www.schaudtfuneralservice.com