Tamara "Tam" Cliburn

Funeral for Tamara Cliburn, 68, will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025 at Lawton Ritter Gray Funeral Home with Dr. Bill Schneider, Senior Pastor of St. John Lutheran Church officiating.
Tam died on Jan. 28, 2025 in Oklahoma City.
Tamara Weeks was born at Fort Carson, Colo. on July 7, 1956. The only child of an Army infantryman and instructor, she lived in several states before spending her high school years in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. After graduation, she attended floral design school in Denver, Colo. and spent most of her adult life as a florist. In 1980, she married Robert Cliburn, who had waited six years for the privilege. The couple had two boys and, in 1986, accepted a job opportunity in Lawton, Okla. sight unseen. Despite having no family there, the couple turned what was expected to be a temporary abode into a true home, living their remaining years in Lawton.
Tam worked as a florist and owned a flower shop for several years but eventually retired from the American Red Cross National Call Center at Fort Sill. She was a proud member of St. John Lutheran Church, where she loved that the people were kind and communion was accompanied by real wine. Over almost 40 years in Lawton, she made many friends with her quick wit, self-deprecating humor, and ability to make everyone feel welcome. She was a lifelong reader and could recite Shakespeare from memory, a talented artist, a second mom to many, and a lover of dogs. She will be missed.
Tam is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Justin and Deanne, Okla. City; a de facto son, Metric Dunnings; a granddaughter, Kayla Tiernan, Anchorage, Alaska; a brother-in-law and spouse, Charles and Madelin Cliburn, Tallahassee, Fla.; a sister-in-law and spouse, Cindy and Kevin Steiger, Tallahassee, Fla.; multiple nieces and nephews; a cousin, Dana Miles, Charlotte, North Carolina; and many friends.
She was predeceased by her father, Herbert Weeks; her mother, Betty Dietz; her husband, Robert Cliburn; a son, Russell Cliburn; and two grandchildren, Emma and Kristo Cliburn. To send flowers to the family of Tamara "Tam", please visit our floral store.