Donald Gee Ogden, Jr.

Coach Donald "Don" Ogden, Jr., 71, a resident of Tahlequah, passed away on Thursday, February 12, 2026. He was born on September 28, 1954 in Siloam Springs, AR., to the late Donald Ogden, Sr., and Denelta (Bass) Ogden.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at a later date at Riverbend by the River, 17252 OK-10, Tahlequah.

Coach Ogden enjoyed a storied and illustrious career teaching and coaching students for over forty six years, taking his first job at Stillwell Public Schools in 1978 before transferring to Commerce Public Schools in 1980, before finally finding his home in Tahlequah Public Schools in 1982, where he spent forty two years shaping minds, instilling values and touching the lives of countless young men and women. In his free time, Coach Ogden LOVED music of all kinds and proudly cheered on his beloved Oklahoma State Cowboys and Arkansas Razorbacks College Athletic teams whenever there was a game to be played. His greatest love in life was his "two girls", Wife of over Thirty Years Shanon Ogden, and their beloved boxer puppy Remi Rayne Ogden. Don coached multiple sports over his forty-two-year career at Tahlequah Public Schools. The nicknames he gave to his student athletes are still used by many of those students today, even as adults. He made his athletes feel valued and ALWAYS treated them with respect above all else. Don did everything the right way-with planning and purpose. He researched and studied new ways to teach, coach, and better involve his student-athletes.
Coach Ogden didn't complain or gossip; he believed that these were not positive personality traits. Don encouraged success for all of his student-athletes and created amazing interactions within his classes.
Don graduated class of 1972 from Pryor High school. He attended college at NEO in Miami, Oklahoma before transferring to Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma where he graduated in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science in Education.
Throughout his forty-two years teaching and coaching at Tahlequah Public Schools some of his highlights were:
BASKETBALL
1982 - 1990, State Tournament appearance in 1983 TRACK, 1982 - 2024, Track director/coordinator, 2016- 2024.
VOLLEYBALL
Don founded the school's Volleyball program in 2001 and shepherded it to many years of great success, while still in it's infancy. 2001 - 2024, All State Volleyball Coach, 2005, 2010, and 2014.
Don was the only two-time recipient of Oklahoma 6A Coach of the year in Volleyball.
He spent many years developing activities for Adaptive Physical Education at THS. He truly enjoyed working with special needs students. Coach Ogden used questioning as a response to his student-athletes, often asking, "What do you think?" He genuinely cared about their feedback and what they had to say.

Don is survived by his family: his wife Shanon, son Daniel, granddaughter Violet, and mother-in-law Cynthia Basnett of Fort Smith, Arkansas, brother Mike Ogden, niece Nichole and Nephew Michael Jr. of Arlington, Texas and his fur baby Remi Rayne Ogden, caregiver and special friend, "Judge" Judy Gaines.

Preceded in Death by: Father Donald Sr., Mother Denelta of Pryor, Oklahoma