Barbara M. Loring

Barbara Marie Cole entered this world on September 22, 1956, in Albany, New York, and left to a better life on June 27, 2023, in Mercy Hospital, Joplin, Missouri. She was surrounded by family and friends and prayers from a myriad of friends at her passing. She was the second daughter of Charles Franklin Cole and Elennore Maree “McCarthy” Cole. Her older sister is Elizabeth Cole of San Diego, California and her younger sister is Catherine Cole of North Fort Myers, Florida. Barbara lived a happy, healthy and adventuresome life, until it was ended suddenly by illness. She graduated from Penfield Highschool in Penfield, New York in 1974. By this time, both of her parents were already deceased. She then entered the Special Education Program at State University of New York at Geneseo. That was an elite program that was not easy to be accepted into. She attributes her numerous volunteer hours at Sonyae Development Institution working with profound special needs children with getting her into the special education program. She graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education. Through a circuitous story she moved to Ottawa County in 1980, living first in Wyandotte and then in Miami and began working for the Miami Public School system. With her warm, comforting personality she made many life-long friends including a young lawyer, Ben Loring. On June 23, 1984, they married in Miami. She then obtained her Master’s Degree in Special Education from Pittsburg State University. Ben and Barbara have two sons, David, who lives with his wife Jenni and Barbara’s grandson, Elijah (“Eli”) in Tulsa, and Ian, who lives with Barbara’s granddaughter Ella in Bentonville. These, along with her godson, Ross Wyant are among her greatest joys. “All children, her children, her grandchildren, her students, all of them have always been her first love and I got the scraps,” said Ben, “but that was good enough for me as there was always plenty.” In 2010, Barbara was chosen as the Miami Public Schools Teacher of the Year, a rather unusual event for a special education teacher. She retired in 2013, but still worked part-time to transition special needs children into the Miami Public School system. Barbara was loved by everyone that met her. She enjoyed her many beloved friends, traveling, cooking, and eating. She loved her gardens and birds and butterflies and bees. She loved her morning coffee on the patio listening to the birds sing or the evenings just watching the fireflies in the woods. Also, her dogs and cats and, yes, even her goats. Ben said, “She loved to mow on the farm. It was a special occasion when she would allow me to get on her mower!” Aside from her teaching and home chores, she currently volunteered her time helping children as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer and is a former Board Member of CASA of Northeast Oklahoma. She also volunteered as a panel member for Graduated Sanctions which worked with youth to divert them from a life of problems with law enforcement. When her sons were Cub Scouts, she was the Den Leader. She volunteered with the Gabriel Project that assisted unwed mothers to give their children a better start in life. She is a member of the Miami Pilot Club, and her favorite projects are Brainminder Buddies, a childhood brain protection program used in the schools and Project Lifesaver a project with trackers for special needs children that might wander off. She regularly took her students to the local and statewide Special Olympics. She was a Sooner fan, but only because of who she married. She had never been to a football game in her life until Ben took her to watch Stanford and a kid nobody ever heard of (named John Elway) whip the Sooners. And she has been cheering ever since. Again, Barbara was never involved in politics until Ben. While she was always aware of political realities, she especially hated campaigns. However, every time he signed up, she did whatever was needed from painting signs to knocking on doors (that was how it was done back then), and she never complained. As a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Barbara never considered herself as an expert on the Christian faith, or even the Bible, for that matter. She just lived a Christian life. As one of her long-time friends said standing bedside at her passing said, “I’m going to quit saying, ‘What would Jesus do?’ and use ‘What would Barbara do?’” Funeral arrangements are being handled by Brown-Winters Funeral Home and Cremation Service. The Rosary will be said Friday, June 30, 2023 at 6:00 P.M. at Brown-Winters Funeral Home and Cremation Service, followed immediately by the visitation until 8:00 P.M. Her funeral Mass is Saturday, July 1, 2023 at 10:00 A.M. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. If someone is unable to attend the Mass, it will be live streamed on the Sacred Heart Catholic Church Facebook page. The Mass will be followed by a luncheon for the family and that will be followed by a private interment. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to CASA of Northeast Oklahoma. Pallbearers are Russell Earls, John Myers, Eddie Wyant, Shaun Wright, Dustin Wright, Derek Wright, Erik McAffrey, and Mike Lilly.

Barbara M. Loring

September 22, 1956 - June 27, 2023