Mrs. Catherine "Kaye" Lee Ivester

Catherine Lee Ivester (or Kaye to everyone she knew), 72, of Choctaw, Oklahoma passed away in Oklahoma City on June 27, 2024, after battling with Interstitial Lung Disease, or ILD, for over a year. Kaye was one month shy of her 73rd birthday.

Kaye was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma in the summer of 1951 to Mary and Leon Harris. Her fiery red hair suited her vigor for life, which she lived adventurously and fully. Kaye played basketball and enjoyed the fashion and music of the 60s and 70s, and her studies brought her to work in nursing. Early in her career she worked in a labor and delivery unit at a former medical facility at Tinker Air Force Base. After this facility was closed, she continued working in healthcare at TAFB, and helped start the AED program there, providing CPR/First Aid/AED training to hundreds of people. On a dare, Kaye became an aircraft mechanic (we know, drastic career change!), where she built and repaired airplane afterburners for several years.

Kaye met her husband Dan in December of 1980. She was out with friends but had a headache and really did not want to be there: She was a recently divorced single mom, and she was NOT in the mood to meet anyone. Dan somehow broke the ice and talked Kaye out of her phone number in exchange for some Tylenol; this exchange grew into a 43-year marriage. Until her relationship with Dan, Kaye had never travelled out of Oklahoma; during their time together, they travelled the world, saw awe-inspiring views, and ate delicious foods on their trips. They also leaned on one another, raised 2 children, and shared decades of love and laughter… We’re talking the kind of laughter that keeps going until there’s no sound, just air – the best kind of laughter. Kaye and Dan both led by example for their children and grandchildren, serving others, being available to help anyone in any way they could, and putting the focus on experiences and connections over material possessions. Kaye had over 50 surgeries through the years, but none of them could slow her down. She was going to live her life, so what if she needed a few extra bones, replacement parts, and metal plates? After retiring, Kaye stayed active fishing, swimming, canning home-grown veggies, thrift store shopping, riding her bright yellow three-wheel motorcycle, traveling with her family and friends, throwing down in the kitchen, volunteering in her community by providing respite care through Hospice, attending church, finding projects for Dan to do around the house, and feeding and watching her beloved hummingbird friends. She was a devoted wife, a rockstar mom, a caring Mom-o to her grandchildren, a wonderful friend, a fierce advocate, and an empathetic listener. Many lives were positively impacted by her, and Kaye will be missed beyond measure.

Kaye was preceded in death by her parents, and is survived by her husband Dan, her son Ron, her daughter Amanda, 2 grandchildren, and many cherished friends. She wanted a small, private grave-side service.

In lieu of sending flowers, Kaye’s family is asking for donations in her memory to be made to Dress for Success Oklahoma City, which is a cause Kaye believed in and donated to throughout the years. To donate, please visit https://oklahomacity.dressforsuccess.org/get-involved/donate/