Deborah Ann (Burns) Cochran
June 5th, 1954 - April 22nd, 2025

Deborah Ann (Burns) Cochran was born to Evelyn Jean Burns and Charlie Arch Burns in Hobart, Oklahoma on June 5th, 1954. She passed away on April 22nd, 2025, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was 70 years old.

A celebration of life will be scheduled for this fall at the ranch home of her brother, Douglas Eugene Burns, in Woodward, Oklahoma. A private family service is scheduled at All Souls Unitarian Church on May 25th in the Memorial Garden. Persons wishing to donate in her honor can do so at The American Heart Association.

Deb is survived by her husband Larry Cochran, Son Andrew Cochran, Daughter-In-Law Shayna Cochran, Granddaughter Savannah Cochran, Brother Taylor Burns, Sister-In-Law Lou Anne Burns and nephew Jared Draney, Brother Douglas Burns, Sister-In-Law Nickie Burns, Nephew Eric Burns and his wife Snow Burns and their two children Calvin and Camille, Niece Whitney Willard and Husband Tom, and their two children, Weston and Charley.

Deb grew up in multiple cities in Oklahoma. Her father Charlie was a County Agent for Oklahoma State University Agricultural Extension Service, then a District Agent, and finally a Community Development Specialist for the State of Oklahoma. His jobs took the family to Hobart, Cheyenne, Stillwater, Enid, and Tulsa.

While in high school in Tulsa, Deb won statewide awards for journalism and creative writing. She studied journalism at Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma. While at OSU, she was the editor for an underground newspaper. She was progressive in her views and a strong advocate for change on campus.

Deb worked for Frontier Printing in Stillwater while in college. Her longest job was working for seven years as an administrative assistant at the Tulsa State Fairgrounds. While there she managed all the judging events, coordinated the coming and going of thousands of animals and made sure the schedules were correct and followed strict guidelines for each species. This led to her having relationships with multiple livestock organizations within Oklahoma. She also worked for dispatch at Advance Alarms.

Deb and Larry were both in the Journalism department at OSU. They were married on January 19th, 1974, at her parent's home in Stillwater. After Larry's graduation in May of 1974, they moved to Norman. They also lived in the Oklahoma City area, before permanently moving to Tulsa. Together they owned two businesses in Tulsa for nine years. Deb worked on the side helping others by editing doctoral dissertations and manuscripts.

Deb was a lover of cats and dogs. Though she was allergic to cats, she constantly brought cats home, with or without permission from her parents, and eventually, they gave in to her love of pets.

The greatest joy of Deb's life began on December 6th,1988 when she and Larry welcomed their son Andrew. Deb devoted the rest of her life to being the mother of Drew, and later the grandmother of Savannah Cochran, born November 8th, 2010.

Deb battled multiple severe illnesses for over twenty years. She fought a valiant fight for life, and the love she shared with her family was the source of her strength and hope. She is deeply loved and missed.