THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL 82 | MARCH 2026 Mary Bernice Shedrick of Stillwater died Jan. 20. She was born Aug. 9, 1940, in Chickasha. She graduated from OSU with her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She taught at Stillwater Public Schools from 1969 to 1980. Ms. Shedrick received her J.D. from the OCU School of Law. In 1980, she was elected to the Oklahoma Senate, representing District 21, where she served with distinction until 1996. She was the principal Senate author and chief architect of the Oklahoma Education Reform Act of 1990 (HB 1017). She also authored the legislation that created the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics (HB 1286). In recognition of her vision and leadership, the OSSM library bears her name. She has been recognized through numerous honors and awards. She was inducted into the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame in 1996 and received the Henry G. Bennett Award from OSU in 1994. Her academic excellence was acknowledged through Phi Kappa Phi membership, awarded to the top 10% of her graduating class at OSU, as well as the American Jurisprudence Award. She also served on the Professional Responsibility Commission from 2003 to 2004 and the Oklahoma Ethics Commission from 2004 to 2007. After retiring from the Senate, Ms. Shedrick continued serving the public as an administrative law judge. She ran a law practice while co-founding Shedrick Management LLC. Timothy Michael Wilson of Lihue, Hawaii, died Jan. 26. He was born Nov. 30, 1947, in Lorain, Ohio. He graduated from Cordell High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. After graduation, he immediately joined the U.S. Marine Corps, enrolling in officer candidate school, becoming a captain and serving two tours of duty in Vietnam. Mr. Wilson was a decorated veteran and had many accomplishments, including his wings, Bronze Star medals and multiple Purple Hearts. Following his service, he returned to Norman and received his J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1979. While at OU, he co-founded the OU Rugby Club. Mr. Wilson served as a public defender in Oklahoma County for 35 years. His proudest and most enduring accomplishment was his creation and implementation of the Veterans Diversion Program. He received several notable awards, including the Jack Dempsey Pointer Jr. Champion for Criminal Justice Award, the Clarence Darrow Award and the Pat Williams Memorial Indigent Defender Award.
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