Frances C.R. Gooch
Frances Corinne Russell Gooch was born in Duncan, Okla., on May 8, 1935.
Her parents were Earl and Cora Russell. Earl was a cattle rancher, sheriff, bank board member and served on the Oklahoma State Board of Regents. Cora was very active in the First Baptist Church and helped to start Gabriel’s House, which was a home to help troubled youth. The Russell home was filled with love, kindness and music. Earl had Corinne standing up at the sale barn singing “God Bless America” when she was 4 years old. Music was at the heart of her world until she died.
She graduated from Duncan High School, attended OSU, where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, earned a degree in vocal music performance, moved to Philadelphia, where she sang with the Philadelphia opera. She later pursued her master’s in education from the University of Oklahoma. Don Gooch saw her singing in the choir and leaned over to his friend and said, “I’m going to marry that pretty girl right there, she sings like an angel … ” And, sure enough, they were married in OKC while Don was in medical school.
They moved to Houston in the early ’60s, where Don worked on his internship and residency at Hermann Hospital. In Houston, Corinne gave birth to Donald Jr. Eventually, they moved to Enid, Okla., where Don and Corinne made their home. Soon they had Clayburn Russell Gooch and Allison Glee Gooch. Corinne was a very active member of the First Baptist Church of Enid. She taught music in the Enid Public Schools, joined PEO, served on multiple notfor-profit boards, sang in local theater productions, directed the choir at the Church of the Covenant and served as a marvelous role model to her three children. Corinne’s gift was her ability to listen with her eyes. While you were talking, she would look at you with her piercing hazel eyes, and you felt like she could see and hear your soul. Corinne was an extremely positive person and had a lasting impact on so many.
In 2009, she moved to Hot Springs and became active in the First Methodist Church, where she loved her Sunday school class. Corinne loved the dogwoods, daffodils, flowering tulip trees, bluebirds, tulips and irises she found everywhere in Garland County. She particularly loved Garvan Woodland Gardens.
She loved her children’s spouses, Curt Roggow and Dana Gooch. She was so proud of her grandchildren. Garrett Judd, citizen of the world and owner of a business in Enid, Okla.; Camden Roggow, in audit with Deloitte and Touche, and his fiance, Lillie Vanderburg, of OKC, Okla.; Scarlett Gooch, social media coordinator for the Vanderbilt Commodore Baseball Program. Brighton Roggow, a senior at Oklahoma State University studying fashion merchandising; Georgia Gooch, a junior civil engineering major at Ole Miss; and August Roggow, freshman business major at Oklahoma State.
Corinne passed away peacefully on the morning of the 16th. Her magical smile, the twinkle in her eyes, the encouragement in her voice and the power of her song will be missed, but never forgotten.
Corinne was preceded in death by her parents, Earl and Cora; her sister, Virginia Stone; her son, Clayburn Gooch; and her grandson, William Roy Gooch.
Corinne is survived by many beloved nieces and nephews.
Memorial gifts should be made to the Open Arms Food Pantry at the First United Methodist Church in Hot Springs, Ark.
Visitation will be held at Gross Funeral Home from 5-7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 20.
Funeral will be held at the First United Methodist Church in Hot Springs, Ark., at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21.
Burial will be held at the Duncan Memorial Cemetery at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 22.
The online obituary, guestbook and memorial tribute are available at http://www.Grossfuneralhome.com.