Loretta Mae (Krivanek) Crist, 77, died July 26, 2017 in Oklahoma City. She was born May 1, 1940 in Oklahoma City to Ernest Sam and Viola Bell (Zoubek) Krivanek. Loretta was raised on the family farm that her Sooner Grandfather homesteaded in the Land Run. She attended Mustang High School graduating in 1959 where she was an enthusiastic basketball player and where many of her classmates and teammates were her cousins. After graduation Loretta left Mustang for Oklahoma City where she worked for Southwestern Bell as a records clerk. This is when she met Jim Crist and her journey as a wife and mother began. They were married on May 27, 1960. During their marriage, Loretta and Jim were stationed with the Army in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, lived in Enid and then resided in Oklahoma City for over fifty years. Loretta spent her life caring for her family and friends. She was a loving "Gran" to her grandchildren and could be seen jumping on the trampoline, shooting baskets or cooking their favorite meal. They couldnt get anything past their Gran. She was a "Mother Across the World" as she was a representative for Youth For Understanding, a foreign exchange program, where she hosted over 25 students from multiple countries. Loretta loved her cousins. She was the heartbeat of the family always checking on them and how they would all giggle and laugh. Loretta loved to bowl with her special girlfriends in the PTA league, winning numerous trophies. You could always hear music playing in the house while she was cooking or working in her garden. She loved a variety of music from Elvis to Country or Czech music. During the fall, her radio was set to cheer on the Oklahoma Sooners and she followed every call, though not always in agreement. More recently, Loretta enjoyed cheering for the Thunder. Loretta loved to travel. Loretta and Jim traveled to Europe and across the United States. Their last adventure was sneaking off with their special furry baby Ginger on an adventure through Utah. It wasnt until they reached their final destination when they notified the family by texting a picture from the Arches National Park. Loretta loved to spend time at their place in Port OConner, Texas where she planned and built her dream home in 2013; overseeing every detail. Here she cooked many meals, packed many snacks for fishing trips and enjoyed her ducks, geese and native birds. Loretta was a fighter. She spent the last two years striving to get stronger, winning her battle with cancer and continued fighting till her last breath was taken from a blood infection. A special appreciation to Dr. Allen Hamaker for his continuous compassion, relentless effort and always being her champion. Survivors include her loving husband of 57 years, James; son, Robert Crist and wife Linda of Victoria, Texas; daughter, Julie Taylor and husband Chuck of Flower Mound, TX; 5 grandchildren, Robyn Torres, Stephen Crist, Derek Crist, Charles Wayne "Chas" Taylor II, and Kyle William Taylor; and 1 great-granddaughter, Gabriella Torres. She was preceded in death by her parents, daughter, Jamie Lynn Crist, and sister, Eileen Waite. Services will be Saturday, July 29, 2:00pm at Mercer-Adams Chapel with interment in Memorial Park Cemetery. The family will hold visitation that morning at 10:00 am. In lieu of flowers, please donate on behalf of Loretta to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. Funeral Service Saturday, July 29, 2017 02:00 PM Mercer-Adams Chapel 3925 N. Asbury Bethany, Ok 73008