Billie Floyd

Billie Floyd
Billie Jean Floyd, 95, a lifelong resident of Ada, died peacefully at her home on Tuesday, March 11, 2025.
Services will be held Saturday, March 15th at 10:00 am at Criswell's Funeral Home, with a graveside to follow at Rosedale Cemetery. The family will receive friends at Criswell's from 5-7 pm on Friday, March 14th. Mrs. Floyd's funeral service will be livestreamed on the Criswell Funeral Home Facebook page.
Floyd's parents, natives of Coal County, relocated to the Ada area in 1918. Billie Jean Floyd was born on Christmas Eve, 1929. In 1935 her parents enrolled her at the Horace Mann Laboratory School. She would go on to graduate from Ada High School before returning to the ECU campus where she graduated in 1951 from East Central Teachers College. In 1955 she earned her master's degree in education from the University of Oklahoma, along with other courses in the field of education at Texas Women's University.
On May 3rd, 1952 Billie Floyd married Benny Charles Floyd in Ada, Oklahoma. They had two daughters, Carey Lou and Amy.
Floyd's relationship with ECU would continue upon her return in 1953 when she began her decades-long teaching career at the university.
Floyd taught Health, Physical Education and Recreation during her years at ECU. In 1984, after 31 years with the university, Floyd left ECU to run for, and win, the state senate seat in district 13. Prior to winning the seat, Floyd worked with Lou and Wes Watkins to petition for the Equal Rights Amendment, a passion that she would continue to support during her time in office and after. In addition to advancing the Equal Rights Amendment, during her time in office, she served as Tourism Committee Chairman and was a member of the Education, Agriculture, Transportation, Appropriations, and Rules committees.
Senator Floyd took pride in carrying the bill to rename East Central University and the bill to name the Gaillardia the state wildflower.
After her term in the senate ended in 1988, Floyd focused on supporting the community. She returned to ECU as a first-year residency teacher supervisor and conducted interviews for the U.S. Census Bureau.
She is also responsible for establishing the first Special Olympics Games in Oklahoma as well as and PAST (Preserving Area Stories in Time) and the Pontotoc Animal Welfare Society. Floyd has been a member of the Retired Educators Association, New Horizons, and PAWS. She served as the chairman of the Citizens Committee for Call-A-Ride, along with other community organizations.
She is survived by two daughters, Amy B. Allen and husband Russ and Carey Lou Floyd; two grandsons, Jesse Lee Allen and wife Kayla Keiser Allen and Joel Linton Allen and wife Cara Cliburn Allen; one great-grandson, Brody Lee Allen; nieces, Susan D. Fathree Birney and husband David, Scottie Floyd Edgar and husband Chris, Meredith Floyd Stephenson and husband Jon, and Hilary Floyd Jones and husband Chris; and two nephews, Wade Fathree and wife Debbie and Mike Floyd and husband Garland Presswood.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Lee Wells and Buford Beatrice Linton Fathree; husband, Benny Charles Floyd; sister, Mary Lou Bass; and brother, Dock Wade Fathree.