Elizabeth Ann (O'Donovan) Girouard, age 92, was born in Tulsa on June 2, 1921, to Charles A. O'Donovan and Margaret (Haydn) O'Donovan. She attended Marquette High School and Oklahoma State University.  Betty Ann grew up in mid-town Tulsa in a home full of music, all kinds of music, but especially classical. Betty Ann and her parents proudly played their Steinway piano and her father, Charles O'Donovan sang in a barbershop quartet.  After the war, Betty Ann joined the choir at Christ the King Catholic Church where she met her husband of 59 years, George E. Girouard.  They were married at Christ the King Church on June 26, 1954. In 1955, George and Betty moved to Oklahoma City, where they raised their family of four children.In her 20's, Betty Ann worked for Standard of Indiana in the Cosden Building (now the Mid-Continent Tower) in Downtown Tulsa where, with influence from her father, she fell in love with Tulsa's many architectural gems. She passed this appreciation on to her four children and ended up working for many years as secretary to the Director of the Oklahoma Historical Society.But it was music that, along with her husband, George, was her most passionate interest. She instilled this love for music in her home in Oklahoma City with son, Lance taking up the electric guitar in the 8th grade and daughter, Jeanne Marie taking up the piano at a very early age. Lance went on to teach guitar students for a few years and Jeanne Marie kept the piano tradition alive by continuing to play the Steinway for Betty Ann in her Oklahoma City home, where she passed away peacefully on Monday, March 10, 2014. Although she and George were classical music aficionados, they let us kids play our rock music in the house – they actually got us into rock music by giving us the Beatles 45 "I Want To Hold Your Hand"/"I Saw Her Standing There" in our Easter Basket in 1964, 50 years ago this Easter. Thanks Mom, we still love that record.Betty Ann is survived by her two sons, Chris Girouard and his wife, Jan, Lance Girouard and his wife, Beverly; two daughters, Patrice Sieja and Jeanne Marie Girouard; 5 grandchildren, Patrick Fuqua and Danielle Fuqua of Fort Worth, Texas, and Christian Girouard, Katie Girouard and John Paul Girouard of Tulsa; and two sisters-inlaw, Marilyn Girouard and Margie Girouard. Betty Ann was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, George; and her sisters, Mary Jane and Dorothy O'Donovan.Betty Ann and George also deeply loved the Catholic Church. They were founding members of St. Eugene Catholic Church in Oklahoma City and subscribed to many Catholic publications.  More recently, Betty Ann spent many hours watching the Catholic TV channel after losing her beloved George last year. Betty Ann and George never fought - ever. Betty Ann cited it as being immature when asked by us "how do you do it?" Our high school friends affectionately referred to George and Betty as "Ward and June" after the Cleavers in "Leave It to Beaver".Betty Ann was warm, peaceful, humble, genuine, kind, faithful, pure of heart, and a loving wife and mother. As we said of our Dad when he passed away last June, Betty left us with a royal performance on how to live a Christian life and led by example with an elegance that we will never forget.Our thanks to all the caregivers that took good care of Betty in her final days, especially Companion Care, and a very special thanks to our sister, Jeanne Marie Girouard who devoted the last 9 years of her life caring near-daily for Mom and Dad, thereby allowing them to live in their home until going to their Heavenly Father. Thank you Jeanne Marie - your undying devotion to our beloved parents was beautiful.Funeral service will be held at Christ the King Catholic Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Friday, March 14, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. Immediately following graveside rites, Chris and Jan Girouard will receive family and friends at their home. A Memorial Mass for Betty Ann will also be held in Oklahoma City on Friday, March 28th, 3:00 p.m., at St. Eugene's Catholic Church.
FITZGERALD IVY CHAPEL 918-585-1151