Alana Ruth Hughes' Obituary
Alana Ruth Hughes, a dedicated community leader and advocate, transitioned from this life on February 17, 2024, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Born on April 26, 1956, in Germany to her loving parents Allen Dunn and Billie Ruth (Lassiter) Dunn, Alana's life was marked by compassion, service, and unwavering dedication to others.
Alana was a vibrant and loving person, cherishing both adventure and family bonds. Her zest for life, combined with her passion for travel, cycling, and golfing, brought joy to her days. Alana built a strong connection with her daughter’s soccer community as she could always be found on the sidelines supporting them. Alana had a love for her grandchildren that reflects the deep connections she valued in life.
Throughout her life, Alana made significant contributions to her community. She led key initiatives such as bringing Any Given Child to Tulsa, a program of the Kennedy Center, to provide arts experiences to every K-8 student in Tulsa Public Schools; the creation of Youth Philanthropy Initiative, a three-year program for high school students to focus on a community project and drive change through philanthropy; bringing Haruv USA to Tulsa which provides education and training for students and professionals who work to identify, prevent, and treat child abuse and neglect; supporting Women In Recovery and the Women's Justice Team - programs of Family & Children's Services - to assist women facing criminal charges or are on probation with substance abuse treatment, education and life skills, and reunifying with their children; working with Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma to create the Parents' Defense Team to provide legal representation to low-income parents in the child welfare system; and the creation of scholarship programs for students pursuing degrees in social work.
Alana served on many boards and was highly involved with several important local organizations, including Tulsa Community Foundation, the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits, the Tulsa Community College Foundation, Tulsa Area United Way, Tulsa City-County Library, Parent Child Center, the Child Advocacy Network, and the Family Safety Center. In September 2022, Alana was named as a Vision Dinner honoree by the Tulsa Community College Foundation, and in October 2022, Alana testified as part of an interim study conducted by the Oklahoma Senate Health and Human Services Committee, which led to the creation of the Family Representation and Advocacy Program, adopted by the Oklahoma legislature in May 2023. Alana served more than 24 years in employment with the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Foundation, where she will now have a scholarship in her memory.
Alana is survived by her cherished daughter, Austin, and her adored grandchildren Damon, Tylie, Paige, Tennessee, and Stormy. She is also survived by her beloved mother, Billie Ruth, devoted sisters Jackie and Star, brother James, and a host of other family members and friends whose lives she enriched with her presence.
She is preceded in death by her grandchild Kimber, father Allen, and grandparents L.O. and Ruth Lassiter.
A celebration of Alana's life will be held on Saturday, April 27th, 2024, at 6 pm at the Will Rogers Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma. In honoring her memory, let us carry forward her legacy of compassion, service, and love for others. Alana's impact will continue to resonate, inspiring generations to come. In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate any donations to be made in her name at the Youth Services of Tulsa: https://www.yst.org or JAMES Inc: https://jamesinc.org or the Family Safety Center: https://fsctulsa.org.
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