Twyla Gae Zorba

Twyla Gae (Johnston) Zorba was born on December 18, 1930, in Cleveland, Oklahoma, to Charles L. and Lucille M. Johnston and passed away from this life on August 8, 2019, in Dallas, Texas. She moved with her family at the age of five to Seminole, Oklahoma, where her father worked for Sinclair Oil Company. Upon the death of her father in June 1939, her mother moved the family to Oklahoma City to be near relatives.

Twyla attended elementary, junior and senior high school in Oklahoma City. She graduated from Central High in 1948. After high school, she attended Blackwood-Davis Business School before beginning employment.

Over the years she worked for Ledbetter Insurance Company, Barton Fruit, Campbell Finance, North American Insurance Company and was secretary to the district manager of Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical Company until October 1960. She then resigned to marry Rudolph Zorba and move to Perry where he owned and operated Zorba’s Men’s Wear for many years. After moving to Perry, Twyla was employed by Donahue and Mugler Insurance Agency for several years until shortly before the birth of her children. At that time, she quit to become a full-time wife and mother, a job she genuinely loved. After Judi and Michael left for college, she went back to work part time for six years with Courtesy Insurance company at Exchange Bank of Perry, and Stillwater Savings and Loan in Perry, retiring in 1989.

Twyla is a past member of Sigma Phi Gamma International Sorority, a past member of the Marigold Garden Club in Perry, an active and honorary member of the Perry Study Club and a long-time member of the First United Methodist Church in Perry.

She leaves behind a daughter, Judi Zorba-Clark and husband Doug of Dallas, Texas, a son Philip Michael Zorba and wife Nicole of Norman, Oklahoma, three grandchildren, Remington, Jetsun and Coco Zorba, all of Norman and a host of nieces and nephews.

She is predeceased by her husband Rudolph, her parents, three brothers, Robert, Neil and Tom Johnston and one sister, Donna Glass.

A Memorial will be held at the First United Methodist Church in Perry, Thursday, August 22, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. Funeral services will be through Dighton-Marler Funeral Home in Perry.

Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, First United Methodist Church in Perry or the Macular Degeneration Research Foundation.