Nora Coy

Nora Sue Coy was born on Friday, May 28, 1948 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the daughter of Elza Louis and Thelma Eunice (Turney) Hutchinson. She passed this life on Friday, July 4, 2025, at her home in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. She was 77 years, 1 month and 6 days of age. Nora was a 1966 graduate of Harding high school in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. After purchasing the marriage license on April Fool’s Day, she was married to Howard Coy on, Good Friday, April 4, 1969 at Faith Tabernacle in Oklahoma City. Nora enjoyed sewing, making Christmas ornaments and Christmas stockings and many other handmade items. She was a member of Foundations Church, Blue Star Mothers, former PTA Council President, former PTA state secretary, and HOA Secretary for 18 years. She and Howard played Mr. and Mrs. Claus each Christmas. The highlight being Mr. and Mrs. Claus for the Special Olympic Christmas party each year. Besides being an outstanding seamstress and a never-ending fount of craft ideas, Nora was very musically talented. She studied classical piano at Oklahoma City University while in grade school. Being an accomplished pianist at the age of 12, she was invited to play the piano for her local church choir and orchestra in Oklahoma City where she continued played for the next 25 years. Nora could sight read music and often would play for the church service after seeing the music only once before the service. She also played the keyboard for Silver Strings of Putnam City, a strolling strings group, for 15 years. Nora started playing for the group when Christian joined and continued during Nathan’s tenure with the group. After both boys had graduated, Nora assumed her career as keyboardist for the group would end. However, the current students in the group would not let “Momma Nora” quit. During her time with the Silver Strings, she traveled with the group to Europe twice, and numerous locations throughout the United States. The first trip to Europe, the group was invited to play at the dedication of the war memorial on Normandy Beach for the 50th anniversary of D-Day. Nora was the “mother figure” for the group, providing a Christian influence and example. In addition to playing the keyboard, she was an accomplished vocalist, singing in mixed quartets, trios, and duets with her husband and was a professional backup singer at a local sound studio. Nora loved everyone, made friends with everyone, and loved with a fierceness that would not be compromised. During Nathan’s junior year in high school, she agreed to host a foreign exchange student from Germany. Upon meeting Dominic, she stuck her hand out and said, “Hi, I’m Mom.” She has been Mom to Dominic Burgstahler ever since. For the next 28 years, Dominic has shared his life with “Mom”. When he got married, he and his new wife spent part of their honeymoon staying with Nora and Howard. Nora has been an influence on so many lives throughout her lifetime. She volunteered as a youth sponsor, served a number of years in prison ministry, even going onto death row to minister a lady incarcerated there. As a family, we would visit various prisons, with the boys playing in the prison yard. Nora modeled such love that, when one gentleman was about to get out, the boys asked if “Uncle Don” could move in with us until he could find an apartment and get established in a job. Nathan moved into Christian’s room to allow Uncle Don to have a room of his own. She is survived by, her Husband, Howard Coy, of the home; sons, Christian Coy of Broken Arrow, OK, Nathan and wife Lina Coy of Moncks Corner, SC; grandchildren, Stanley Coy of Moncks Corner, SC, Angelica and husband Chris Palya of Wichita Falls, TX and Azenith Aguirre of San Antonio, TX; great grandchildren, Lucas and Elizabeth Grace Palya. Nora is preceded in death by her parents, Elza Louis and Thelma Eunice, and brother, Thomas Hutchinson all of Oklahoma City. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to Broken Arrow Blue Star Mothers or to Foundations Church building fund.

Tributes

Nora Coy

May 28, 1948 - July 4, 2025