John L. Dell

John Lawrence Dell passed away unexpectedly on August 10th, 2022 while playing basketball, a sport he adored. He is survived by his wife of 17 years, Jennifer Dennis Dell, his daughter Norah (13), and son Isen (9). John was born in St. Louis to his mother Jodie Bell Galosy and his father Lawrence Edward Dell. John was a proud father, husband, and resident of Norman, Oklahoma. He was loved by so many, including his friends, his large extended family and his work family at Epic Charter Schools. John earned an undergraduate and graduate degree in philosophy from the University of Oklahoma where he also worked in student support services. He loved learning and exploring ideas, and he was proud of his education. He loved his dogs Leia and Tilly, he loved being in nature, camping and the St. Louis Cardinals. He loved philosophy, science fiction and chess where he excelled both in rating and in online tournaments. John grew up with a deep love of music that he nurtured in his children. He had so many great memories of summers with his family in Michigan. He adored being with his family, and he had a big smile and a wicked sense of humor. On social media, John described himself as: "A learner by accident, intention, nature, and artifact."

John will be dearly missed by his family and friends. If you have any memories or photos you would like to share with Jennifer and the family, please share them on this site or an email account has been set up at memoriesofjohndell@gmail.com.

His memorial is scheduled for Saturday, August 20th at St. Paul's Episcopal Church 127 NW 7th, Oklahoma City at 2:00pm. There will a garden reception following until 5:00pm. Masks are required for the indoor service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to support the education of John's children at https://gofund.me/9938343e.

Donations can also be in John's name to fund educational programs at the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve (Muskegon, Michigan), a favorite nature spot of John and his Grandpa Bell who helped found the Preserve (http://muskegonlakenaturepreserve.com/what-is-meres) or the Cleveland County YMCA (https://www.ymcanorman.org/donate).