Mary Kathleen Strain, 74, lifelong resident of Oklahoma City, passed away on May 12, 2022 from complications caused by a stroke. Kathy (or Kathleen) was born on June 7, 1947 to E. Donald and Geraldine Strain. She was a very proud graduate of Northwest Classen High School, Class of 1965. Many beautiful friendships took root from elementary school through high school and those relationships provided blessings throughout her life. She was the “glue” that kept a web of friends together over the years.
Following high school, she earned degrees from Oklahoma State University (B.S. in Special Education '69) and the University of Oklahoma (Master of Arts '73, Master of Public Health '81) and began her life’s calling in the fields of Speech Pathology/Audiology and Epidemiology. She began her career with the Department of Institutions, Social and Rehabilitative Services (DISRS), now called the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. She worked as a speech pathologist, evaluating children at the OK County Emergency Shelter for abused and neglected children, and OK Children’s Memorial Hospital, now called The Children’s Hospital. Kathy's professional life brought her great purpose and she continued this work until systemic lupus forced her to reduce a full-time work schedule.
Kathy gave selflessly of her time outside of her professional duties, volunteering for charitable Boards including the Foundation for the Disabled and Oklahoma Symphony Orchestra, among others. She was proud to serve on the Governor's Commission on the Status of Women for over 10 years and gave countless hours to several local non-profits, finding ways to stand up for the underserved, especially causes related to women and individuals with disabilities.
A friend to many, Kathy was caring and supportive. She was known for checking in regularly with neighbors, sharing food she had prepared and calling friends to be sure they were watching incoming spring storms. Even though she lived with chronic illness for a good portion of her life, she rarely (if ever) complained - choosing instead to focus on the positive. In fact, Kathy loved having fun and she had a recognizable laugh that could fill a room. We can't think of a time when she spoke ill of another, leaving a high bar for the rest of us to meet in her absence.
Kathy was preceded in death by her dear parents. She is survived by her brother Don Strain, sister-in-law Mary Strain, niece Shannon Strain Schultheis (and Todd), and nephews Tyler Strain (and Maria) and Brian Strain (and Talia), whom she loved deeply. Her great-nieces and great-nephews brought so much joy and energy to her life. They are Sara & Jake Schultheis, Noah & Lily Strain, and Emmy & Jax Strain. In addition to family members, she is survived by many adoring friends.
A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, May 18 at 2:00 PM at Hahn-Cook/Street & Draper (6600 Broadway Extension, OKC 73116). Live-stream viewing will available at https//tinyurl.com/hcfhlive. Memorial donations in Kathy's name may be made to the YWCA Women's Shelter (2460 NW 39th Street, OKC, OK 73112; www.ywcaokc.org) or OMRF/Research on Systemic Lupus (825 NE 13th Street, OKC, OK 73104; www.omrf.org)
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