Alice Rose Cyrus-Cochenour, 82, of
Columbus, Ohio (Lucasville, Ohio), passed away Sunday, August 3rd,
2025, with her children at her bedside in her home in Columbus, Ohio.
She was born on October 21st, 1942, to Thomas William Cyrus, Sr, and
Freda Crystal Cyrus in Lucasville, Ohio.
Alice retired
from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections after
working as a Substance Abuse Counselor and Case Manager. Despite this
initial retirement, her energy and passion for giving-back continued.
She worked for several years as a Crisis Intervention Specialist at
Netcare Access. After leaving Netcare, she worked as a Program
Coordinator with the Partial Hospitalization/Intensive Outpatient
Program at Ohio Hospital for Psychiatry. She, then, went on to work
as a Day Care teacher with the NW Church of Nazarene in Columbus,
Ohio, taking care of the babies. It took a pandemic to convince her
it was time to step-back and finally retire completely in 2020.
Alice attended Circleville Bible College and Portsmouth
Interstate Business College in the 1970s, where she obtained
Associate degrees in Accounting and Business Administration. She went
on to Shawnee State University and obtained an Associate of Arts
Degree with focus in Psychology. After moving to Marion, Ohio in 1982
she completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from The Ohio State
University.
Alice was a trailblazer for women while
working in corrections when she started to work at Marion
Correctional Institution in the 1984. She became active in the Union
while working at MCI and was a member of the SEIU 1199 Union. While
in the Union, she served on the negotiating board and lobbied for
employee’s rights within corrections. However, she continued to
stay involved with SEIU 1199 after her retirement from Corrections.
She was a fierce activist for many causes over her life: Women’s
Rights; LGBTQ+ Rights; Domestic Violence Prevention; Animal Rights;
Environmental Rights; and pretty much wherever she saw a need to
stand for the rights of the most vulnerable and underrepresented in
our society. She held the conviction that our society could never be
truly civilized unless all its people had an even playing field.
Alice was a member of the NW Church of Nazarene for
almost 30 years but had been involved with the Nazarene Church
throughout her life. She made missionary trips over the years to
different spots in Peru and Mexico. This missionary work was a great
passion for Alice.
While Alice was a person of strong
faith, she did not follow blindly. She stood by her convictions and
walked her talk. For those that knew her, also knew she expected the
same from others - for which she would call you out if she saw any
inconsistency.
Alice had a true love for education, and
believed a person never stopped learning in this life. She had many
hobbies over the years: photography; reading; traveling; and a great
love for writing. She never stayed idle, and all her life she
volunteered for several causes and organizations: domestic violence
shelters and crisis lines; half-way homes for individuals with
addictions; and the Women’s Interfaith Mission were only a few.
Alice is survived by her daughter, Crystal Dawn Cyrus,
from Columbus, Ohio; her son, Thomas Lewis Cochenour, and
daughter-in-law, Hye Jen (Shorty) Cochenour, from Cedarville, Ohio.
She took immense pride in both her children and their
accomplishments. However, she also expected them to take
responsibility for their actions, good or bad. No matter which, she
always showed them love and unconditional acceptance.
Alice
is also survived by her two younger sisters, Gearldine Emeline Cyrus,
and Freda Ruth Morris. She is also survived by her nieces and
nephews: Danny Thomas Cyrus; Timothy Glenn Cyrus (Debbie Cyrus); Jill
Rochelle Donini; Randall Douglas Cyrus; Joel Kyle Cyrus; Charmin Rose
Good (Bruce Good); David Lewis Cyrus, Jr (Terry Cyrus); Aaron
Benjamin Cyrus (Kristi Cyrus); Nicole Marie Cyrus; John Roger
Matthews (Susan Matthews); Lisa Dawn Matthews; and Dana Lynn Maxwell.
She was also survived by many great and great-great nieces and
nephews, whom she stayed in contact with and never missed wishing any
of them a happy birthday, congratulations on notable events, or any
other accomplishments in their lives.
Last, but not
least, she was survived by her three grand-dogs, Penny Layne, Eleanor
Rigby, and Molly Mae.
Alice was preceded in death by her
parents, as well as her three brothers, Thomas William Cyrus, Jr,
Glenn Oliver Cyrus, and David Lewis Cyrus, Sr.
There will
be a Celebration of Life gathering held at The Park of Roses at 3901
N. High Street, Columbus, Ohio on October 4th, 2025, at 1pm. We will
be holding a “ceremony” to honor Alice’s life, immediately
followed by a day of fun, laughing, singing, and just being in the
moment with one another. Alice loved her family fiercely. She
considered so many she encountered over the years her family, whether
related by blood or not. Having all who were touched by her life
gather for this celebration of life would be something she would
cherish. We will be at the open shelter next to the soccer field and
the closed shelter building. We will have plenty of food and
non-alcoholic drinks, but if you would like to contribute, please
feel free to bring a favorite dish and drink.
In lieu of
flowers, the family requests donations to be made to your favorite
charity or helping organization. Some of Alice’s favorites did work
for Women’s Rights, LGBTQ+ Rights, Animal Rights, the National
Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI Ohio), St. Jude’s, Nazarene
Ministries, Kaleidoscope Youth Center, Interfaith Association of
Ohio, and of course your local Union organization.
Alice
was an astounding woman and a beautiful soul. She never met a
stranger. She was a tiny warrior on many fronts. She influenced and
was an inspiration to so many people over the years. She stood for
those who could not always stand for themselves. She was a ripple in
this universe that will continue to be felt by all those she touched.
We are the better for her being a part of this world and our lives.
We love and miss you, “Norma Rae.”
