Lynda Marie Bowen Alford, age 82, passed away quietly in her sleep early in the morning of Tuesday, December 16th, 2025. She was in her home in Tulsa in the company of her long-time live-in caregiver Angie Belton and was also cared for by Hospice of Green Country in Tulsa.

Lynda was born on May 31, 1943, in Tullahoma, Tennessee to Carl E. Bowen and his wife Edna Marian Persons Bowen. Shortly after her birth, Carl was transferred to Italy with the US Army during World War II and served with distinction as a Master Sergeant and Chief Administrator for a large US Army Hospital. Lynda and Marian moved back to Tulsa and Carl joined them after his discharge from the Army in 1946 and joined the Texaco accounting staff in downtown Tulsa where he worked for his entire career. Lynda grew up in Tulsa, graduated from Will Rogers High School in 1961 and went on to attend the University of Tulsa. Lynda graduated from TU in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science Degree majoring in Speech Pathology. She also attended Troy State University and secured her master's degree in counselling.

Lynda's only sibling John Bowen was born in 1948 and followed in his sister's footsteps through high school and college and was a Registered Nurse in the Tulsa area for several years. He sadly passed away in 1976.

Lynda married her long-time beau Mike Yarborough shortly after her days at the University of Tulsa and they moved to Port Arthur, TX where Mike worked at the Texaco Refinery as a Chemical Engineer. Lynda pursued professional roles as both a Speech Therapist and she pursued her artistic interests with a variety of Interior Design type positions including owning her own interior design business. She and Mike parted ways after a few years, and Lynda stayed in Port Arthur to run her business. She met and married Maize Alford and they lived in Fort Walton Beach, FL for several years. Lynda, however, for personal and family reasons, moved back to Tulsa and ended the second marriage. She eventually landed in her most cherished professional pursuit which was as a counselor for Family and Children Services in Tulsa

Lynda was quite gregarious and almost flamboyant at times. She made friends easily, loved to laugh, loved her mini-poos, loved to drive her car with the top down, enjoyed her girls' trips to Eureka Springs, loved a good game of bridge, and was meticulous about having her hair and nails done each week. She loved to sing in her church choir, and she became a caregiver for her mother who eventually lived to the age of 99 years and 11 months. She was a true "daughter of the Tulsa community".

Unfortunately, at about age 60 Lynda began a long, slow decline in her cognitive abilities and eventually required full-time care at home. She retired from her counselling role, but she

maintained a close relationship with her bridge and trip friends for many years and time with them was indeed precious for her.

Lynda was blessed to find an unusually dedicated and caring live-in caregiver in Angie Belton. Angie cared for all of Lynda's needs for over 12 years and literally folded Lynda into her own family of kids, grandkids, and dogs. Lynda's last years in Angie's care were truly extraordinary and a gift to Lynda's family and friends.

Lynda's closest surviving relatives are her 3 cousins: Richard Persons of Denver, CO, Elizabeth Bernhard of Austin, TX, and Robert Persons of Greensboro, NC and a few 2nd cousins. Lynda was predeceased by her Father Carl E. Bowen, her Mother Edna Marian Bowen, and her brother John Bowen.

Lynda's Funeral Service will be held at Saint Patrick's Episcopal Church in Broken Arrow, OK on Saturday, March 21st, 2026, at 11:00 am followed by a lunch celebration of her life and a grave site service at 1:30 pm at the family plot at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Tulsa.

Lynda's memorial website can be reached at MooreFuneral.com and the family would encourage you to visit and possibly share any of your memories of Lynda with us and her friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family would encourage you to donate to the Tulsa SPCA, 2910 Mohawk Blvd, Tulsa, OK 74110. Their phone number is (918) 428-7722.