Tessa Lyn Martin

Tessa Lyn Martin (George), age 46, passed peacefully on December 7th, 2021 at St. Francis Hospital South in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was surrounded by her loving family. Tessa was born on April 3rd, 1975 in Fairview, Oklahoma to Rick and Cheryl George and was raised by her parents in Waynoka, Oklahoma with her little brother, Kyle. She graduated from Waynoka High School in 1993 where she was a straight-A student and excelled at sports, especially basketball. In 1997, Tessa graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in Accounting. Shortly after finishing school, she received her CPA license in Iowa and was later licensed in Oklahoma as well. Tessa worked successfully as an accountant from 1997 until she became ill in February of 2013. Prior to her illness, Tessa worked for John Deere, Nestle Purina and had been recently named CFO of Stillwater National Bank. Tessa married her high school sweetheart, Clay Martin, on December 13th, 1997 at the First Baptist Church in Waynoka. The two met when Tessa was in just the 4th grade. Clay always tells the true story of seeing Tessa for the first time as a grade schooler and coming home that day to announce to his mother, “I saw the girl I’m going to marry someday”. At the time of her passing, Tessa and Clay were just 6 days shy of their 24th wedding anniversary. Tessa and Clay were blessed with two sons during their marriage, Garrick, 20, and Ryker, 15, and raised their boys in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Tessa was a beautiful, loving, nurturing, talented, and fiercely courageous person. Her passion for her beloved Alma Mater, Oklahoma State University, was surpassed only by her love for her family and friends. Tessa was made to be a mother. Her boys were her energy, her focus, her joy, and the greatest treasures in her life. Tessa enjoyed decorating for the holidays, crafting, scrapbooking, gardening, eating at great restaurants, hanging out with her extensive friend groups, spending time with her family, and she loved country music. Her most beloved pastime was attending OSU sporting events and events for our boys. She was always decked from head-to-toe with the school’s colors, had a button or shirt with her boys’ names or numbers on it, and was one of the loudest voices heard when she cheered. The only games she ever missed were due to her illness. Even on days that she struggled, she still made it to the stands. Tessa fought a courageous 8 year battle against multiple illnesses. Even in the midst of seemingly insurmountable circumstances, she maintained a positive attitude and an incredible will to live. Tessa spent her final days surrounded by and enjoying the company of family and friends. Family and friends are invited to attend a celebration of life gathering on Saturday, December 18th at 1:00pm at the Multipurpose Building next to the Waynoka High School in Waynoka, Oklahoma. The address is 2134 Lincoln St., Waynoka, OK 73860. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made through the funeral home to the Fallen Railroader Scholarship. Please make checks payable to Clay Martin and note in the memo that the funds are for the scholarship. Donations can also be made via Venmo @William-Martin-498 or the Cash App at $payday4clay. Please add in the memo that the funds are for the scholarship. Tessa loved OSU, especially OSU football. In honor of Tessa’s passion for her Alma Mater, the family asks that you wear orange gameday gear, something orange, or your “I Wear Orange for Tessa” T-shirt.

Tessa Lyn Martin

April 3, 1975 - December 7, 2021