Diane Jean Karn

Over the last three years, we have been slowly losing our mother to Alzheimer's disease and on October 23, 2024, she took her final breath. Diane Jean (O'Dell) Karn was born in Kansas City, Missouri on July 5, 1947 to Betty and Sam O'Dell. When Mom was 3, Betty and Sam made the big move to Tulsa. Our Dad, whose family has lived in Oklahoma since before statehood, always teased Mom about not being a "Real Tulsan" because she wasn't born here. Betty and Sam settled in a little stone house next to the railroad tracks, joined the Woodland Hills Country Club and sent little Diane to Franklin Elementary School. In the early sixties the little family had a house built way on the edge of town at 57th and Hudson and Diane attended the brand new Memorial High School where she graduated in 1965. Diane's high school career included Girl Scouts and performing with the synchronized swimming team. In the fall of 1965 Diane began her studies at Oklahoma State University and joined the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. In those days the male students outnumbered the women by a large margin. Diane had many suitors to choose from, but in the end she set her cap at a newly graduated Sooner engineer named Jim Karn after their first blind date at the Bedlam game. Jim and Diane got married over Thanksgiving in 1968. Betty had put her foot down at the very idea of a Christmas wedding. Jim then went back on the road installing radio towers and Diane moved back in with Betty and Sam to do her student teaching at Memorial High School so that Diane could complete her bachelor's degree in education in August of 1969. Due to the ongoing conflict in Vietnam, Jim was drafted, and just like that, Diane became an Army wife. Diane always said that she learned early not to sweat the small stuff in her marriage because of these difficult years. Diane followed Jim to Layfette, Louisiana for Army training and Jim supplemented his $100/month salary with his weekly poker winnings. After Jim's three-year service in Vietnam, Jim and Diane settled back in Tulsa where they promptly had 2 two children 20 months apart: Victoria Jean in 1972, and Robert Jason in 1974. Diane set her dream of being a social studies teacher aside and stayed home with Vicki and Robbie. In 1981 they welcomed Patrick Samuel to their little family. As a mother, Diane was loving and affectionate with her kids. If you have even been on the receiving end of a hug from one of us, that was all Mom. She and Dad created a home where friends were always welcomed with a smile and a snack. Once the kids were out of the house, Diane returned to college, earned a master's degree in Adult Education from UCO, and taught GED classes to adults. Since retiring in 2008, Diane enjoyed volunteering at the Gilcrease Museum, playing bridge, and spending time with her family. All 3 of her adult children and 6 grandkids live in Oklahoma. A favorite tradition is spending Fourth of July at Grand Lake to celebrate Diane's birthday. Diane loved trashy romance novels, playing cards, margaritas, country music, craft supplies and buying gifts for loved ones. She hated to sew but loved making costumes. She hated bananas and any sort of melon. As her Alzheimer's advanced, Vicki would sometimes offer Diane a banana to try to gauge how the disease was progressing. Diane remained steadfast in her hatred of bananas right until the very end. Diane was preceded in death by her husband James O. Karn. She is survived by her three children, Vicki (Robert Hibbert) of Tulsa, Rob (Nikki) of Tulsa, and Patrick of Edmond; and 6 grandchildren: Samantha Jean Hibbert, James Donald Hibbert, Jack Aaron Karn, Eric Nicolas Karn, Bennett Olivia Karn, and Cooper James Karn, as well as two sisters-in-law, Sue Turner (Tom) and Linda Boyce (Mike), many nieces and nephews, and her many lifelong friends. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Alzheimer's Association or the American Diabetes Association. Memorial Service at Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church, 2pm, Wednesday, October 30, 2024.

Diane Jean Karn

July 5, 1947 - October 23, 2024