Delia 'Joan' Cowden

Joan, age 76, passed peacefully into her Savior's hands from her home, surrounded by her loving family, Friday, August 30, 2013. She was born July 11, 1937, in Kansas City, Missouri and moved to Oklahoma City with her family in 1940. She attended John Carroll Catholic School and Junior High, and Catholic High (now Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School), graduating in 1955. She was devoted to God, church, children and family. She will be remembered for her warmth, beautiful smile, compassion and examples of unconditional love. She was preceded in death by her parents Mary Agnes and John Joseph Gleason, son James Joseph Cowden, brother Patrick Gleason, brother Tom Gleason and wife Karen, brother Mike Gleason, brother-in-laws Jack Orr and Mike Cowden and niece Haley Arnold. She is survived by her children Joan Marie Cowden and husband Charles Richardson, Julie Kornfeld and husband Kevin, Lester L. Cowden III and wife Deborah, Janet Hornsby and husband Gary; also Lester L. Cowden Jr., her former husband and father of her children. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Lester Cowden IV and wife Andrea, Zachary Cowden, Seth Cowden, Audrey Hornsby and Elizabeth Kornfeld; as well as sisters Dolores Orr, Reece Atchley and husband Ronnie, sister-in-laws Jeanne Meyer and Lisa Buckelew, brother-in-laws David and Daniel Cowden, and many loving nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The National Arthritis Foundation or Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital.