Lila Fern Blackburn

Lila Fern Woodward passed away on Tuesday February 7, 2023, at the age of 69. She was born in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma on August 23, 1953, to Lucy Fern and James Pharis Woodward. She attended Union High School, graduating in 1971. Lila attended Oklahoma Christian University where she met Ted Blackburn. They married on September 1, 1972, in Tulsa, OK at the Brookside Church of Christ. In 1974 they attended the Tulsa Soul Winning Workshop where they felt led to work in the deaf ministry. Shortly after welcoming their two sons into the family, they moved to Lubbock, Texas where she attended Texas Tech and Methodist Hospital School of Nursing to obtain her LPN. Lila continued to work with deaf children while in Texas. After two years in Texas, they returned to Oklahoma where their beautiful daughter, Linda, completed their family. Lila interpreted for deaf students who attended Bartlesville Public Schools and worked as an LPN at Jane Phillips Hospital. She became a Licensed Professional Counselor in 1995 after completing a Master’s of Science degree at Oklahoma Baptist University. Lila counseled for Youth and Family Services, Family and Children Services and the Osage Nation Counseling Center before starting her own practice. Although retiring in 2009 due to health concerns, she remained active in her church and deaf ministry for many years. Lila passed from this world and into the arms of Jesus on February 7th, 2023, with her loving husband at her side. She is preceded in death by her mother Lucy Fern Woodward, Father James Pharis (JP) Woodward, brothers James and Keith Woodward, and sister Sylvia Hannigan. She is survived by her husband, Ted Blackburn, brother Duane Woodward and wife Cheryl of Ketchum, OK, sister Marilyn Flannigan of Raleigh, North Carolina, sister Fairie Roig and her husband George of Slidell, Louisiana. She leaves behind her son, Robert Blackburn and wife Kerri of Guthrie, Oklahoma, son, Kenneth Blackburn, and daughter, Linda Dolder of Durango, Colorado as well as nine grandchildren- Anna, Connor, Blake, Thomas, Jarrett, Jace, Jayla, Kenzie, and Audrey. Celebration of life service will be held at the Dewey Church of Christ, 1313 N Osage Ave. Dewey, OK 74029 on Saturday February 11th, 2023, at 11am.

Lila Fern Blackburn

August 24, 1953 - February 7, 2023