Former U.S. Senator and Oklahoma Republican stalwart, Dr. Tom Coburn passed away on Saturday. He was 72 years old. His family issued a statement that Coburn died at home. Reports say it was from complications due to prostate cancer.
The outpouring of remembrance for the fiscal conservative physician began as soon as the news hit.
U.S. Senator James Lankford (who won Coburn’s Senate seat after he retired):
“Oklahoma has lost a tremendous leader, and I lost a great friend today. Dr. Coburn was an inspiration to many in our state and our nation. He was unwavering in his conservative values, but he had deep and meaningful friendships with people from all political and personal backgrounds. He was truly respected by people on both sides of the aisle.
“Dr. Coburn will be remembered by many around the country for his work in Congress, but in Oklahoma, he will be remembered as a physician, a Sunday School teacher, and a mentor. He delivered over 4,000 babies and cared for thousands of moms in Muskogee. His greatest joy was his wife Carolyn and his daughters Callie, Katie, and Sarah and their families. Cindy and I pray for the Coburn family as they walk through this incredibly hard journey. They have lost a husband, father, and grandfather; we have lost a friend and a leader.”
Governor Kevin Stitt:
“We lost a giant today – an Oklahoma legend. Dr. Coburn devoted his life to serving others both by way of his career as a physician and by tirelessly fighting for our country as a true statesman.
Our state and our nation are better because of the lessons in fiscal responsibility we’ve learned from Dr. Coburn and I pray especially in these trying times ahead of us that we can find ways to ensure his legacy lives on.”
Congressman Tom Cole:
It was with great sadness that I learned of the passing of my former colleague in Congress and client, Dr. Tom Coburn. He was an Oklahoma original – a politician who hated politics. He disliked campaigns, but he never lost an election. Voters appreciated his strong conservative views, his candor and his honesty as a person.
“Tom felt a strong call to serve his fellow Oklahomans as both a physician and an elected official. He did both with genuine personal integrity. In Oklahoma and far beyond, Tom became a legendary figure who fiercely fought for what he believed in and what he thought was best for future generations of Americans. And he did so with great conviction and resolve.
“I extend my deepest sympathy to Tom’s devoted wife Carolyn and his close-knit family. Nothing gave Tom more pleasure and pride than his loving and talented children and grandchildren. His family truly brought him the greatest joy in life. I offer them all my prayers for their loss, and I wish them God’s healing in this time of tremendous grief and sorrow.”
Congressman Kevin Hern:
“Senator Tom Coburn was a great leader and a great man. More than that, he was a dear friend and mentor to me long before I ever dreamed of entering politics. He lived a truly Christ-centered life, for this I am glad that his suffering is over and he is at peace with our Lord. I mourn his loss today along with the family, friends, and thousands of Oklahomans who knew and loved him. I will see you again one day, my friend.”
Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter:
“Former Sen. Tom Coburn was an accomplished man, husband, father, doctor, leader and politician. He served our state in both chambers of Congress with dignity and distinction.
“I was privileged to know Tom as a friend and colleague. He was a man of principle and dauntless in his pursuit of conservative policy objectives. I often thought of him as the embodiment of Theodore Roosevelt’s Man in the Arena comment in his Citizenship in a Republic speech, which surmised that the credit belongs to the man who dares greatly.
“Despite the partisan divide in Washington, Tom managed to earn respect on both sides of the political aisle. He spent his legislative career as an ardent supporter of pro-life policies, second amendment rights, healthcare reform and fighting against wasteful government spending.
“My wife Cheryl and I send our deepest condolences to the Coburn family during their time of mourning.
“Well done good and faithful servant. Matthew 25:23.”
Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat:
“One of the greatest honors of my life was to have known and worked for Dr. Tom Coburn. He was a mentor to me and lived out a great example of how to serve with conviction, honor and compassion. Whether it was fighting for the unborn or the next generation of Americans, he was unshakeable in his convictions, regardless of the extreme political or public pressures, and was successful in pulling America back to its core values and principles.”
“He was a man of God devoted to his family and friends, and not afraid to let anyone know that. I’m saddened by his passing, and my heart is with his family and all those who had the great fortune to have worked for him over the years. Besides family, no one has had a more profound impact on my life than Tom Coburn. His impact on our nation was real and his legacy lives on through all of those who were blessed to know and learn from him.”
Oklahoma Speaker of the House Charles McCall:
“Tom Coburn embodied Oklahoma because he stood fearlessly firm on his principles, whether that meant standing alone or standing with the crowd. A true citizen legislator, he was a force for change whose legacy will stay with us always. He was successful in politics, medicine and business, but never forgot his faith in Jesus Christ. My family has his in our prayers during this difficult time.”
Oklahoma Senator Rob Standridge:
“In 2011, I lost my father to prostate cancer, and now a few years later I lost a great friend and one of my greatest political heroes, Tom Coburn, to that same disease.
“Serving as a senator for the citizens of Oklahoma is a great honor, but nothing during my time has been as meaningful as my time working on political projects with Tom. I am proud I helped drag him into the fight for states’ rights with regards to reining in the federal government using the power of the U.S. Constitution, and the nation should be thankful he decided to jump in.
“Of course, as anyone who knows Coburn knows, he makes up his own mind. As I can count the times that I believe myself and others had influence on his thinking, it was his tenacity and convictions that made him the most courageous political leader of our times.
“I spent years fighting in Oklahoma, along with Dr. Coburn and my great friend, Senator Josh Brecheen, for an Article V Convention of States in order to get D.C. under control. Coburn continued to lead that fight nationally up to the day he died, and when an Article V Convention happens, and I firmly believe it will, it will be because of Dr. Coburn’s tireless efforts in his final years that made it so.
“I will miss my friend Dr. Coburn greatly, but our nation will miss him in ways they don’t even realize. It is not often that heroes and warriors like Tom Coburn come along. We must appreciate them, we must encourage them, and we must always honor them, and if we are so lucky, give thanks to God that we got to know them.”
McCarville Report Editor-in-Chief Jason Doyle:
“Tom Coburn was one of the first politicians I covered when I returned to Oklahoma in the early 2000s. I covered his return to politics in 2004, and his win of the U.S. Senate seat vacated by U.S. Senator Don Nickles.
Coburn was many things, but in my opinion, was always fair. He never shirked from any of my tough and not so tough questions as a young political reporter.
No matter what a person’s view of Coburn, no one can deny he made an impact on Oklahoma.”
He was at once a fine Christian gentleman and a statesman of the highest order. This is a loss that hits us all hard. Rest in Peace, Dr. Coburn. You were the best.