Joan Marron-Larue

Celebrating the life of Joan Finkenbinder LaRue

Joan Marron LaRue, a celebrated impressionist painter and a pillar of the Oklahoma arts community, passed away in late January 2026 at the age of 91. Born Joan Finkenbinder in 1934 in Custer County, Oklahoma, she grew up on a family farm near Clinton, where her deep connection to the land began. After earning a fashion-arts degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1956, she eventually transitioned into fine art, becoming renowned for her vibrant plein-air landscapes, florals, and murals. Her artistic legacy is physically woven into the state; she painted two significant murals for the Oklahoma State Senate at the State Capitol in 1985 and contributed works to the Mercy Health Center in Oklahoma City. An early member and mentor for American Women Artists (AWA), she was known for encouraging fellow artists to keep their "gates open" to the world. Beyond Oklahoma, her travels took her to places like Russia, Nepal, and Italy, yet her heart often returned to the light of the American West.

In 1995, Joan married her Clinton High sweetheart and "love of her life" Bob LaRue. Bob passed just 13 days before Joan. They will be eternally together joined in life, death and eternity by love. She is survived by sister Kaye Finkenbinder Blaylock and brother Don Carl Finkenbinder, his wife Verna Finkenbinder.