Sonja Pellow "Sunny" Obituary

Sonja Sue Sullivan Pellow (“Sunny”) died January 11, 2024, in Edmond, Oklahoma. She was born October 24, 1939, in Duncan, Oklahoma to Jerome Sullivan, Sr. and Madge Bond Sullivan.  Sunny grew up in Duncan and graduated from Duncan High School in 1957, where she was named Miss Jolly Jill and was an honor student.  Sunny graduated from University of Oklahoma, also with honors, in Journalism in 1961.

Sunny was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority at OU, and later received her Golden Circle pin for being a member for 50 years.

Sunny married Peter Adams in Duncan, Oklahoma in 1962.  They moved to North Carolina, where they lived until 1972, until they migrated to Tucson, Arizona, to be nearer to the Sullivan family.   Eventually, Sunny and Peter divorced, and Sunny married her true love, and college sweetheart, Johnny (“Cappy”) Pellow.  They lived the rest of their lives together in Edmond, Oklahoma as the “Pellow Pack” with their six children, eight grandchildren, and four great grandchildren.

Sunny started her career in journalism after she graduated from OU, working for various newspapers in Wichita, Kansas, and in Dallas, Texas.  After moving back to Oklahoma City, Sunny was the first female executive at Ackerman McQueen, a prestigious advertising firm.   In Tucson, Sunny was a board member of the Community Organization for Drug Abuse Control (“CODAC”), very active in the Junior League of Tucson, and worked for her Uncle Jack Sullivan in the lumber business, all while raising her two young daughters.  

Sunny and Cappy (a former football player for OU) married in July of 1982 and both were longtime Sooner football fans. They went to every home game together and sat in the same seats, above Section 8, for almost 40 years.  Sunny and Cappy helped start the Sooner Club and Sunny received numerous awards for her fundraising activities.

Sunny was our matriarch in the truest sense.  She never missed any of her kids’ activities or sporting events.  She served as a timer and lane judge for the swim meets, the manager and scorekeeper for the softball games, a fundraiser for the Edmond football club, and was always a vocal cheerleader in the stands.  Sunny made all of her kids believe that there was nothing that they could not do.  Everyone she met felt at home and genuinely loved. She was smart, generous, kind, witty, an amazing card player, a talented writer, and loved her family and friends fiercely and unconditionally. She will be missed beyond words.

Sunny is preceded in death by her husband John T. Pellow Sr., her son James Pellow, her brother Jerome C. Sullivan, Jr., and her parents, Jerome Sr. and Madge.  She is survived by daughters Ashley Adams  (and Gene Harbort) of Scottsdale, Hilary (and Chris) Allen of Luther, Jennifer (and Don) Ford of Tulsa, her sons John (and Sandi) Pellow of Tulsa, Joe Pellow (and Duong) of Oklahoma City, her grandchildren Parker Allen, Cole Allen, Gannon Allen, Maddie Feldman, Austin Feldman, Abbey (and Beau) Proctor, Ashley Pellow and Grant (and Preslee) Odor, and her great-grandchildren, Jude, Piper, Lennox, and Scottie, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Services will be held on Friday, January 19, 2024, 2:30 p.m., at the Smith & Kernke Funeral Home Chapel, 14624 N May Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73134. In our celebration of Sunny’s life, if you plan to attend the memorial, we would love for you to wear sparkles, bright colors, animal prints or something in honor of Sunny’s beautiful and classy style!  The family invites the attendees to a brief reception at Smith & Kernke, and then to follow at the home of Sunny and Cappy in Edmond.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Pellow Outreach at 6601 NW 118th Street. Oklahoma City, OK 73162 (https://www.pellowoutreach.org/donate) or to the fund established in Sunny’s honor at Delta Delta Delta, Theta Gamma Chapter.  You can send donations to Venmo @Betsy-Hibbard-1 or to Delta Delta Delta, 1611 College Ave., Norman, Oklahoma, 73072, and indicate in the memo line that the donation is in memory of Sonja Sullivan Pellow.