Obituary of Tara Elizabeth Petroll

Tara Elizabeth Barrett Petroll went to be with her heavenly father on October 16, 2019. She was born on January 22, 1962 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Mary Jo Underwood Barrett and Dr. Paul Arthur Barrett, a well-loved physician. Tara graduated with honors from Putnam City North High School in 1980. She then attended the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma, graduating with honors with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. While in college, she pledged Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, making many long-lasting friendships and memories. After college, she worked as a writer and marketing assistant at the Journal Record, a weekly business newspaper in downtown Oklahoma City.  In 1985, with Washington, D.C. capturing her imagination, Tara began graduate school at The George Washington University, graduating with honors with a Masters of Business Administration in Marketing. While in Washington, D.C., she frequently served in volunteer roles for the Republican National Committee under the Reagan Administration, helping organize fundraising efforts, sorting out and distributing event tickets, and assisting in the hosting of President’s Dinners and Eagles’ Meetings. After graduation, Tara settled in Dallas in 1988, taking a communications specialist job at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, where she would work for 31years. She served in many capacities supporting top management in their goals, most notably the implementation of the Customer Driven Quality philosophy and the development of daily and crisis management communication processes for the Federal Reserve System’s shared information technology services.

Tara married Walter Matthew Petroll in 1995 after meeting him in Glencoe Park walking her beloved dog, Texas Tidewater Red (AKA Reddog), a brown, curly Chesapeake Bay Retriever. The thing that attracted Tara to Matt the most, she said, was, “his beautiful mind. We always had something interesting to say to one another.” Matt currently serves as a professor of Ophthalmology and chairman of the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, where he has conducted research on corneal wound healing for 28 years.

In 1999, Matt and Tara were blessed with twin boys, Jared Paul Petroll and Jackson Matthew Petroll. Younger brother Jett Dalton Petroll joined the crew in 2001, three days before Tara’s 40th birthday. Her children were the light of her life. Now age 20 (twins) and 19, Jared attends the University of Texas at Austin and is studying the Classics. Jackson is an engineering major at Texas A&M University in College Station, and Jett is a soon-to-be graduate of Dallas Academy High School.

A 25-year member of Highland Park Presbyterian Church, Tara and Matt taught Sunday School for 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders over the years. Her children served in the Children’s and Genesis Choirs. Along with her husband and children, Tara is survived by her sister Sabrina Ann Taylor Dunlop, Sabrina’s husband Don Dunlop, children Audrey Taylor Arnett and Trevor Taylor, and Sabrina’s grandchild Jalie Arnett of Oklahoma City; her brother Brac Paul Barrett, his wife Joncee Barrett, and his children Emma Barrett, Olivia Barrett, and Mia Barrett of Oklahoma City; as well as her step-siblings Scott Lee and wife Louise Lee, Shannon Lee, Kent Lee and wife Sarah Lee, Kregg Lee and wife Marlene Lee; and Tara’s step-mother Arden Lee Barrett all of Oklahoma City. Tara is the granddaughter of Dalton and Lillian Underwood (deceased), ranchers in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, and Arthur William (A.W.) and Mildred Barrett (deceased) of Konowa, Oklahoma, where he served as superintendent of Konowa Schools, and she served as a first grade teacher.

Also surviving Tara are her aunt Ruth Barrett Maxson of Durant, OK and Ruth’s children Stephen and Brian Maxson; her aunt Jennifer Underwood King of Kingwood, TX and Jennifer’s children Michelle Lowman, Victoria Rasberry, and Kim Paull; Tara’s uncle Curtis Underwood and his wife Della of Napa, CA, and his children William and Clay Underwood; Tara’s uncle Hubert Underwood of Murrieto, CA, and his children Sheila, Eric, and Stuart Underwood.; and Tara’s great aunts Elizabeth Pike and Kay Emery, both of Tuttle, OK. Tara’s aunt and uncle Betty and Bill Bailey proceeded her in death. Their children, Brett Bailey and wife Kari Bailey, Brent Bailey and fiancé Brooke Barr, and Barrett Bailey and wife Erin Bailey survive her.

Funeral Services will be held at Highland Park Presbyterian Church on November 8, 2019 at 3:30 PM.

In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to one of the following non-profit organizations that were important to Tara:

• Highland Park Presbyterian Church Genesis Choir,
• Zion Lutheran School Scholarship Fund, 6121 E. Lovers Lane Dallas, TX, 75214
• University of Oklahoma, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Capital Campaign for Beta Theta, P.O. Box 2187, Columbus, GA 31902-2187. Additional information available at 405-990-5308, Trish Caldwell Cloud.