Mary Nell Brancich

Mary Brancich, a lifelong resident of Duncan, Oklahoma who moved away a year ago to be closer to family in Edmond, Oklahoma passed away peacefully in an Oklahoma City hospital with family by her side.

A Celebration of Life service will be Saturday, March 8, 2025 at 2:00 pm at the Whitt Funeral Home Chapel in Duncan, Oklahoma with Rev. Jerry Couch officiating. Services are under the direction of Whitt Funeral Home. The family will visit friends from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm Friday, March 7th at the Whitt Funeral Home.

Mary Nell (Hodgson) Brancich was born in Oklahoma City on October 30, 1945 to Clarence and Imogene (Dobbs) Hodgson. She passed away on Thursday, February 20, 2025. She was 79 years old.

Mary grew up in several small towns in Oklahoma. She moved to Des Moines, Iowa when she was in the 4th grade. She graduated from North High School in January 1963. She met Jasper (Jai) Brancich and they married November 11, 1967 in Des Moines, Iowa.

They eventually moved to Duncan, Oklahoma in 1973 where her husband Jai took the job as the band director for Empire Schools. During this time Mary went back to school at Cameron University where she earned her elementary education teaching degree and started her teaching career. She taught 4th grade for many years and later went on to teach 2nd grade as well. She even taught piano and guitar lessons after school to many of her students. She touched so many lives during this time. After her long teaching career of 28 years, she retired in 2007 from Empire schools.

After her teaching years, she got involved in the Duncan Area Literacy Council of Duncan, Oklahoma. She later became the Executive Director of DALC for nearly a decade and was responsible for growing the program to what it is today. Mary loved to be with her family as much as possible. She enjoyed going to Lake Texoma with family and friends. She will be greatly missed and never forgotten by all those who knew and loved her.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, Clarence and Imogene (Dobbs) Hodgson; her husband, Jasper Brancich; her sister, Kandy (Hodgson) Dyer; her nephew, Chris Dyer; Wilber and Imogene Gepner, Glenna Peters and Ione (Dobbs) Wakley.

She is survived by her 3 children and their spouses: Mindy Brown and husband, Wayne Brown of Duncan, Oklahoma, Mike Brancich and wife Heather Brancich of Noble, Oklahoma, and Tony Brancich and wife, Amy Rios of Edmond, Oklahoma; four grandchildren: Hailey Brown and her fiancé John Allen, Kylie Brown and her fiancé, Conner Brown, Mila Brancich, and Josh Baxter; and two great-grandchildren: Greyson Miles Allen and Remi Fay Allen; sister, Kay Bechtel and husband Ron of Edmond, Oklahoma; and a host of nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Duncan Area Literacy Council, P.O. Box 1878, Duncan, Oklahoma 73534.

Online condolences may be made at www.whittfh.com.

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