KCCU Mary McClure Slice of Life - How often do you laugh? - November 4

Mary McClure is a pioneering journalist, keen observer of human nature, and devoted community leader whose warmth, wit, and conscience shaped Southwest Oklahoma. Known to public radio listeners as the distinct voice behind KCCU-FM’s longtime weekly commentary “Slice of Life,” Mary spent a lifetime finding humor, grace, and common ground in everyday experiences.

Born Mary Schmidt on December 9, 1929, in Mutual, Oklahoma, she grew up in Woodward County during the Great Depression. Her fascination with people and storytelling took root early: from age five, she helped run the switchboard in her family’s front-room telephone office, listening empathetically to neighbors sharing news of harvest, hardships, and wartime loss. At twelve, she invested $10 in a mail-order writing course, igniting a devotion to the craft of words that never faded.

While attending Southwestern State College in Weatherford, she met fellow student and school newspaper editor Kinley A. McClure. The two were paired on the editorial staff—Kinley as editor and Mary as society editor—beginning a lifelong personal and creative partnership. They married in August 1948 in Mutual, sharing nearly 52 years of devotion, lively dinner-table debates, and annual family road trips and camping adventures across the country until Kinley’s passing in April 2000.

After moving to Lawton in 1955, Mary worked downtown as a secretary before embarking on a trailblazing 27-year career in federal civil service at Fort Sill. Beginning as an editorial assistant in 1963, she rose through the ranks during a pivotal era of military newspaper modernization to become writer, editor, and managing editor of the Fort Sill Cannoneer. Under her 18-year leadership, the Cannoneer was twice named the Army’s top newspaper worldwide and consistently ranked among the top three. For her distinguished leadership, she received the Department of the Army Decoration for Meritorious Civilian Service, the Commander’s Award for Civilian Service, and the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara. In February 2001, Mary made history in Washington, D.C., as the first woman ever inducted into the U.S. Army Public Affairs Hall of Fame.

Retirement from civil service in 1988 marked not an end, but the beginning of an expansive new chapter. She wrote features and a weekly column for *The Lawton Times*, contributed syndicated columns to Active Times and Family Times magazines, and saw her essays published in numerous national magazines and newspapers. In March 1993, she brought her talents to KCCU-FM, broadcasting well over 1,768 weekly installments of “Slice of Life” and 95 for the Lawton Times, and around 1,050 for the Fort Sill Cannoneer.

Her commentaries earned three consecutive national first-place honors (1997–1999) in the National Federation of Press Women's Communications Contest and the Outstanding Achievement Award in the Metro Radio Division from the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters.

Parallel to her writing was an enduring commitment to civil rights and civic service. In the early 1960s, Mary and Kinley were instrumental members of "The Group," a quiet, courageous coalition of citizens who worked alongside local leaders and Fort Sill officials to peacefully desegregate Lawton’s businesses and housing. Mary served as the informal group’s secretary, meticulously keeping records of their progress and bringing weekly chocolate sheet cakes and her famous "purple stuff" Jell-O salad to meetings. A pillar of local civic life, she served as president of the Lawton League of Women Voters, the Great Plains Writers Club, the Artillery ITC Club, and the Lawton Shakespeare Club, while also contributing four years to the AARP State Legislative Committee and serving on the Board of Directors of the Fort Sill Federal Credit Union. In 2003, the City of Lawton recognized her lifelong service with the Citizen of the Humanities Award.

Mary’s proudest achievement was always her family. She instilled in her sons an appetite for learning, a fierce sense of social responsibility, an affection for the outdoors, and a deep love of language. Mary has three sons: Kade McClure, Matt McClure, and Shane McClure; two grandsons, Sean and Jake; and a community that was continually elevated by her words and example.