Billie Jo Hughes

Billie Jo Clark Hughes of Tulsa, formerly of Quinton, OK, was born on May 11, 1930 to Harvey (Hob) and Beulah (Boo Boo) Clark and passed away in Tulsa, Oklahoma on October 29, 2023 at the age of 93.

She is survived by her daughter, Deborah Hughes Ernst of Tulsa, cousin (and best friend) Tom (Tommy) Clark of Alva, Oklahoma and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

After graduating from Amorita High School, Billie Jo attended Northwestern College in Alva for a year before transferring to Oklahoma State University (then called Oklahoma A & M) where she majored in Physical Education and even played basketball for Valerie Colvin, a long-time OSU faculty member and pioneer in Physical Education. While attending OSU she met the love of her life, Diamond (Smith) Hughes, whom she married on December 25, 1950 in Byron, OK. After the wedding they traveled to Bakersfield, CA where Diamond served two years in the Navy. Upon returning to Oklahoma, they lived and worked on their ranch in Featherston, OK until they moved to Tulsa in 2000. In retirement, they regularly traveled to Stillwater to cheer for OSU football, basketball and baseball teams. After living in Tulsa for ten years, Billie Jo and Diamond moved to Montereau where Billie Jo attended Protestant Church services, was active in the Alpha Delta Pi sorority and a member of the Birthday Girls.

Billie Jo was proceeded in death by her husband, Diamond, her parents, her sister Mary Darlene Clark, and son-in-law Dan Ernst.

Graveside Services will be held at Quinton City Cemetery at 11:00 am on Thursday, November 2, 2023 under the direction of Mallory-Martin Funeral Home and Crematory of Stigler.

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the First United Methodist Church of Quinton, P.O. Box 545, Quinton, OK 74561 or to the Oklahoma State University Foundation for the II Jo's Women's Basketball Endowed Scholarship fund, 23-82030. Checks should be made payable to Oklahoma State University and mailed to the OSU foundation. PO Box 1649, Stillwater OK 74076-1749.