Martha R. Dyer (August 29, 1939 – August 5, 2026)

Martha Ruth Dyer, age 86, of Norman, OK, passed away peacefully on August 5, surrounded by her loving family.

Martha was born in Oklahoma City on August 29, 1939, to Russell and Georgia Gassei. A talented pianist, she graduated from Northwest Classen High School, then attended the University of Tulsa, where she met fellow music lover Norris W. “Bud” Dyer. They married in 1958 and had five children. One of Martha’s great joys was providing a happy home for them through financial lean times and a series of cross-country moves while Bud went to medical school and served in the U.S. Navy.

After raising her children, she returned to college and earned a degree in early childhood education. She spent the next decade teaching preschool in Oklahoma City, and she’s fondly remembered by the many young children she taught to read and write, and for whom she created a haven each day. After retiring, she devoted herself to taking care of her grandchildren.

Throughout her life she loved playing the piano, singing, and listening to choral music, and she passed on her musical love and talents to her children. She loved art and enjoyed traveling during her retirement. Friends and family will remember her for her well-articulated principles, her love for her children and grandchildren, and her devotion to the Lord. Her faith in God was a source of strength in difficult times, and she looked forward with confidence to the day she’d join her Savior and hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

She was preceded in death by her son Mark Dyer and her siblings, Marilyn Carver and John Gassei. She is survived by her children, Jennifer Dyer, John and Lynne Dyer, Stephanie and Mark McCorkle, and Susanna and Greg Stefanek; 11 grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren; and many other relatives and dear friends.

A funeral will be held at Corbett Funeral and Cremation, 807 W. Wilshire Blvd, Oklahoma City, on Tuesday, August 11, at 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Salvation Army, an organization dear to Martha’s heart.