Dolores Jean Sloan

Dolores Jean Laws Sloan was born in Kingsley, Iowa on November 29, 1929 to the late Cecil Oren Laws and Hazel Marie Greenwood Laws. She died in Suwanee, GA on November 26, 2020. She is survived by brother William George Laws of Fenton, MO. She was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Joe M. Sloan, by brothers James Oren Laws and Richard Vern Laws, and by sisters, Eula Marie Laws VanOstran and Phyllis Ann Laws Thomas.

She is also survived by sons and wives, Joe M. Sloan, Jr. and Claudia C. Sloan, and Robert Glen Sloan and Alisa Kay Ayers Sloan. She had five grandchildren: Michael Paul Sloan, Thomas John Sloan, Philip Andrew Sloan, Olivia Kaye Sloan Ivey (husband, Russ), and Madelyn Marie Sloan. She had six great grandchildren: Luke Sloan, David Sloan, Grace Sloan, Wyatt Sloan, Kaydence Sloan, Danielle Dickson.

She graduated from Cabool High School in 1947 and then attended Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, OK, where she pursued a degree in English Literature/Drama. She met her husband to be (Joe M. Sloan) at Oklahoma Baptist University and they were married in the First Baptist Church of Cabool, Missouri on September 9, 1950. Nine days after their wedding, Joe was recalled to the Army to serve in the Korean war (having served previously at the end of World War II). Following his second discharge from the military, Joe enrolled at the University of Oklahoma. Dee worked in various jobs to support their family while Joe completed his Bachelor of Science in Geology degree in 1956.

Dee's primary role in life was that of wife and mother, roles that she cherished and performed with selfless devotion for over 70 years. In addition, she worked numerous administrative positions during Joe's early career in the oil industry. In the early 1970s Joe and Dee founded Sloan Drilling Company where they worked together until taking early retirement in the mid 1980s. Even while caring for her family and working various jobs outside the home, Dee always found time to volunteer as a Sunday School Teacher and in various leadership positions that supported her primary passion in life, global missions.

After retiring, Joe and Dee served as mission service volunteers at Hawaii Baptist Academy, a faith-based private K-12 school on the island of Oahu. While Joe helped raise funds through the development office, Dee served as an administrative assistant in the school's counseling department. She loved nurturing and helping to care for many students who sat near her desk while waiting to see a counselor. After their stint serving on staff at the school, they remained active and supportive members of Hawaii Baptist Academy's Mainland Advisory Council.

As residents of Tulsa for over 35 years Dee and Joe were active members of First Baptist Church. They served the church in many capacities throughout the years. Later, they were members of Columbus Avenue Baptist Church in Waco, TX and Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA. In addition to serving churches, Dee and Joe lived out their faith as frequent participants in Lay Renewal Weekends where they made life-long friendships.

Dee's primary hobby was preparing lavish feasts for her family and friends at holidays and other special events, at the family home in Tulsa, at their Colorado retreat near Estes Park, or at their condo in Honolulu. Her homes were decorated with beautiful appointments, but in the midst of the beauty, she filled each place with love and made every person feel like all her efforts were just for them.

The defining hallmark of Joe and Dee's life together was their faith in God. Dee was bold in her faith, always praying for her entire immediate family, her extended family and a multitude of friends by name every day. Her tattered Bible is held together by duct tape . . . the margins are filled with notations of special prayers she prayed for people throughout the years. Well done Dolores Jean Laws Sloan . . . your life is celebrated today . . . rest well in the arms of your precious Jesus!