Alice Rose Cyrus-Cochenour

 

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.”