Carol Glea (Stebbens) Kalka was born January 18, 1937, to Howard and Tilly Stebbens in Selman, Oklahoma. She passed away peacefully surrounded by family on September 14, 2026. She was 89.

She was raised on a wheat farm in Northwest Oklahoma. After graduating high school, she attended Draughon's School of Business in Oklahoma City. She then began working as a secretary for Reynolds Metals, which led to a fun and unexpected role: to help promote the company, Carol stepped in as a model, wearing a dress made with foil.

She met the love of her life, John “JB” Kalka, while waving to another gentleman from the balcony of her apartment. They were married on December 13, 1959, sharing 41 years of marriage until JB passed in 2001. If anyone was going to put up with JB, it was Carol Glea. She was a steadfast wife and took care of JB in ways that were so sacrificial. They were blessed with two daughters, Kathy and Karen.

Carol was a homemaker until she started working in 1978 at the First National Bank. She worked for 17 years until she retired to care for her granddaughters. When her granddaughters were younger, you could find her at their events, and she remained their biggest fan as they took on the adult world. She always dreamed of being a teacher and got her chance when she volunteered in her daughter’s kindergarten classroom and was loved by many.

Carol loved her family so well, taking care of them in small and big ways. She would sew while you waited, could get a stain out of anything, and kept weekly dinner rotations of everyone's favorite meals. She was happiest in the kitchen baking: cookies, cakes, and bread were her specialty. If you have had one of Carol’s cakes or loaves of bread, you just knew it was made with love. She made more cakes than we can count: one on every family member's birthday, multiple friends' birthdays, and birthdays for everyone at the bank. She also baked gingerbread cookies every year for the Pre-K and kindergarten classes at East Side Elementary.

Beyond the kitchen, you could find her watching OSU basketball and completing her March Madness brackets. She was a dedicated member of the Agra Methodist Church until it closed down. She then attended the First United Methodist Church in Chandler.

She aged with beauty and grace, was stubborn as all get out, and at 89 years old could still work circles around us all.

Carol was preceded in death by her parents, Howard and Tilly Stebbens; husband, John “JB” Kalka; brother, Wayne Stebbens; sister, Ramona Stebbens Dart; sister-in-law, Pat Stebbens; brothers-in-law, Carl Dart, Bill Craig, and Ted Kalka; nephews, Mike Kalka, Kerry Dart, and Kim Stebbens; and great-nephews, Shafer Dart and Joseph Kalka.

Left to cherish her memory are her daughters, Kathy Kalka (Agra) and Karen Kalka Schooley (Chandler); granddaughters, Johnna Schooley (Edmond) and McKenzie Schooley (Springfield); son-in-law, Edmond Schooley (Chandler); sister, Patti Craig (Wellston); sister-in-law, Kay Kalka (Chandler); nephews, Mike Dart (Kansas), Alan Stebbens (California), Mark Kalka (Chandler), and Darren Craig (Wellston); and niece, Debbie Specht (Kansas); and all those who were touched by her friendship.