Brenda Mechling

Brenda Lavonne (Chaino Ahkeahbo Williams) Mechling

Brenda Mechling's life was a song - one of love, resilience, tradition, and joy. A proud member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma, she poured her heart into music, her family, and her culture, leaving behind a legacy that will be sung for generations.

Brenda was born on March 18, 1957, in Kingfisher, Oklahoma, to Don Chaino Ahkeahbo and Averial (Rivers) Chaino. She spent her earliest years mostly in the home of her grandparents, Carl and Laura Rivers, surrounded by the love of her Rivers and Trosper families. She often reminisced about the laughter, food, and deep family roots that shaped her there. In May 1964, when her mother married Dale Williams, Brenda gained a second dad, and together they created a nurturing home in Del City, Oklahoma.

She attended Sooner Rose Elementary, Del Crest Junior High, and Del City High School, where she truly shone. As a member of the Del Aires, Brenda found her voice and her confidence on stage. In her senior year, she was head cheerleader, football queen, and received a state thespian award for her unforgettable role in The Unsinkable Molly Brown. She graduated in 1975, proud to be a Del City Eagle - a school she loved and celebrated all her life.

Brenda married George Mechling on September 5, 1978, while visiting friends in California. In true Brenda fashion, the occasion was filled with joy, laughter, and a few surprises - including George having to borrow pants after realizing he had forgotten his own. What began as a spontaneous decision became a marriage of 47 years, filled with humor, devotion, and unwavering partnership. George was not only her husband, but her best friend and greatest supporter.

Through their life together, Brenda and George raised a blended family she cherished with all her heart. She was endlessly proud of her children: Paige, strong and determined, raising two beautiful children as a single mother while building a career to support them; Preston, steady and devoted, who with his wife, Shay, built a joyful home where they raise three lively boys; and Parish, high-spirited and fearless, a natural performer who embraces every adventure, including moving to South Dakota with Nicholas. Brenda also lovingly embraced two bonus sons: Darrin, guided by faith and anchored in spiritual wisdom, who with his wife, Carmela, built a family of love and grace as they raise two children; and Jason, gifted with a craftsman's skill, who poured his talents into his work and into being a proud father of three children.

Her grandchildren knew her as "Grammer," a name spoken with love and joy. She was their greatest encourager, the source of back rubs, hugs, and stories that tied them to their family traditions. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren brought her immeasurable delight, and she treasured the chance to see four generations gathered around her table - a rare blessing she never took for granted.

Brenda's love of music shaped her life's work. She began by teaching in her private voice studio, Voice Plus, for thirteen years before pursuing her degree in Music Education at the University of Central Oklahoma. She went on to teach for 24 years in the Mid-Del School District, directing choirs at Del Crest Junior High, Carl Albert Junior High, Carl Albert High School, and her alma mater, Del City High School. She retired in 2021, having inspired thousands of young voices. Her choirs earned numerous awards, and many of her students went on to professional careers - some even to Broadway. Yet her greatest pride was never in trophies or accolades, but in helping her students believe in themselves. To them, she was "Mama Mech."

Her devotion to teaching was widely recognized. She was honored with the Golden Apple Award, Oklahoma Music Educators Exemplary Teacher Award, Multicultural Teacher of the Year, Del City and Mid-Del Teacher of the Year, the prestigious NFHS Outstanding Music Educator Award, and induction into the Del City High School Hall of Fame. This fall, she will also be posthumously recognized as a recipient of AARP's Oklahoma Native American Elder Honoree award.

Brenda also found deep fulfillment in her Kiowa heritage. In her twenties, during a moving ceremony honoring her grandfather, she felt called to reawaken her roots alongside her father. From that moment forward, she participated in the traditions and ceremonies of the Oh-Ho-Mah Lodge and the Kiowa Black Leggings Warrior Society, ensuring her children and grandchildren would carry on those traditions.

Brenda was preceded in death by her grandparents, Carl and Laura Rivers and the Reverend John and Lillie Chaino Ahkeahbo; fathers, Don Chaino and Dale Williams; step-brother, Stan Williams; step-sister, Karen Stopper; and a host of family members, classmates, and friends.

She is survived by her loving husband, George Mechling; mother, Averial Williams; step-mother, Liz Chaino Ahkeahbo; sons, Darrin (Carmela), Jason, and Preston (Shay); daughters, Paige (Christopher) and Parish (Nicholas); brothers, Les Williams (Robin), Donald "Gov" Chaino Ahkeahbo II, and Aaron Chaino Ahkeahbo; and sister, Lisa Chaino Ahkeahbo. She is also survived by aunts, Judy Beavers and Carla Rivers; grandchildren, Dustin, Devon (Kaylynn), Alexis, Hannah (J.B.), Hunter, Lainey, Spencer, Axton, Ace, and Parker; and great-grandchildren, Zephyr and Zeppelin. Brenda will be deeply missed by dozens of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, hundreds of choir children (and grandchildren), and countless classmates and friends.

To know Brenda was to be welcomed, encouraged, and loved. She lived with wisdom, warmth, and grace - a teacher, a matriarch, and a keeper of tradition. Her song continues - in the voices of her students, in the traditions of her people, and in the family she so deeply cherished.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to the Brenda Mechling Legacy Fund, available at any BancFirst location. Contributions will help cover outstanding medical expenses, as well as costs incurred by the family during Brenda's hospital stays and ongoing needs following her passing. Your generosity and support during this difficult time are deeply appreciated.