Katherine Lynn Witas

Katherine “Katie” Lynn Witas passed away unexpectedly on August 25th, 2023. Katie, the precious daughter of Dennis and Linda Witas, was born on May 29, 1994, in Oak Lawn, Illinois. She graduated from Queen of Peace High School in 2012 and received a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Management with a minor in biology from the University of St. Francis in 2017.

Katie lit up any room she entered and was constantly seen with a smile on her face. Her laugh was infectious, causing anyone around her to smile. She loved life more than anything and was constantly on the go. Whether she was running on the trail daily, working out (because running wasn’t enough), playing sand volleyball two nights a week (because one night wasn’t enough) or playing softball just because she had a zest for it all. She recently gave a try at her boyfriend’s favorite sport, disc golf, just because. Katie adored and was equally adored back by her nieces and nephews. She loved them like her own, filling in and helping her brother and sister-in-law by attending their special events and extra-curricular activities. She loved taking them out for ‘Kate-Dates” in order to spend special time with them individually.

Katie found her passion working in cancer research at Nebraska Cancer Specialists when she moved from outside Chicago to Omaha the summer of 2019. She became the Early Phase Clinical Research Coordinator and was responsible for Phase 1 trials in prostate, pancreatic, lung, advanced malignancies, melanoma, and colorectal cancer. Her work became her daily passion and loved each one of her patients. The caring and compassion she showed towards them developed special bonds between them and they loved her right back.

This past January, during a work conference, Katie met the man of her dreams. It truly was ‘love at first sight” and they decided to take a one in a million chance of trying a long distance relationship to see how things would go. Unbeknownst to them at the time “every once in a while, in the middle of an ordinary life, Love gives us a Fairytale.” From the moment they met, their hearts knew the search was over and began planning various trips, meeting all of each other’s families and friends, and just enjoying their passion for the work they both were doing.

Survivors include her parents, Dennis and Linda Witas of Oak Lawn, IL; her grandparents Michael and Patricia Ventrella of Beecher, IL; her brother and sister-in-law, Dennis and Michala Witas and children Dylan, Harper, Hadley, and Aiden of La Vista, NE; her brother and girlfriend Michael Witas and Amanda Hulse of Oak Lawn, IL; boyfriend, Adam Byers of Indianapolis, IN; John Witas (uncle), Robert and Cheryl (uncle ,aunt), Joseph and Kendra (uncle, aunt), Tom Devereux (uncle),Michael and Kelly Devereux (uncle, aunt) and cousins Ashley, Sarah, Adam, Blake, Mick, Nicole, Taylor, James, Sam, Nicholas.

She is preceded in death by grandparents Catherine and Alphonse Witas, David Witas (uncle)

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: St. Jude Children’s Research and Relay for Life

Visitation for Katie will be held Friday, September 1st, 2023 from 4 - 8 PM at Blake-Lamb Funeral Home, 4727 West 103rd Street, Oak Lawn, Illinois 60453. Funeral to begin at 8:45 AM on Saturday, September 2nd, at Blake-Lamb Funeral Home, proceeding to St. Linus Church, 10300 Lawler Avenue, Oak Lawn, Illinois 60453 for a 9:30 AM Mass of Christian Burial. Interment Holy Sepulchre Cemetery to follow.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.blakelamboaklawn.com for the Witas family.