Leta Louise Cato

Leta was born on January 13, 1952, in Denton, Texas, to Scott and Barbara Mollard. From the very beginning, she brought a beautiful smile and contagious happiness into the world—and she spent the rest of her life sharing both with the people around her.

The oldest of four children, Leta grew up alongside her siblings Carolyn, Cindy, and Larry. She attended Memorial High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, graduating with the Class of 1970. She went on to attend East Texas State University, now East Texas A&M University–Commerce, from 1970 to 1972, before studying at Executive Secretarial School in Dallas.

Leta’s greatest joy was being a mother. She married Gregg Cato in Dallas in 1978, and together they raised two children, Gregg Jr., born in 1980, and Stephanie, born in 1982. During the early years of motherhood, Leta and her children lived in several places across the western United States. Wherever life took them, Leta created a home filled with love, laughter, and the simple happiness of being together.

As her children grew, Leta returned to the workforce, initially joining an aerospace supplier near Seattle. Her most rewarding professional endeavor was her 15+ years as a sales manager at Tape Innovations in Fort Worth, Texas. While there, Leta built a career, forged lasting friendships and grew to love her work family. She took pride in her work, helping the company grow and flourish. Her warmth, determination, humor, and genuine interest in others made her someone people remembered long after the workday ended.

In 2012, Leta became Grammy with the birth of her first grandson, Jensen. They formed a very special bond from the beginning and loved spending time together watching movies and cuddling on the couch. Grammy was blessed again with the birth of her second grandson, Grayson. They enjoyed playing and laughing together with an occasional dance party. Jensen and Grayson especially loved going to Grammy’s house for sleepovers. Grammy’s heart melted again with the birth of her first granddaughter, Hanna, in 2019. Hanna will always remember the purses and dresses Grammy gave as gifts. In 2022, she became Grammy to her third grandson, Henry. As a baby, Henry would laugh at Grammy’s silliness. Leta loved being Grammy to these four children and was an incredibly present person in their lives.

Leta loved many things, but movies held a special place in her heart. She could happily spend an afternoon watching the old classics on Turner Classic Movies. Her favorite movie, however, was a more recent classic to her: Secondhand Lions (2003). She loved to travel, whether the destination was far away or just a short trip down the road. But more than any movie, journey, or place, Leta loved her family.

She treasured the big moments and the ordinary ones alike—the celebrations, milestones, everyday visits, shared meals, conversations, and simply being together. She made every effort to spend as much time with her family as her physical limitations would allow. Being a mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend was central to who she was.

Leta was also a lifelong Christian. As a teenager, she gave her life to the Lord at Inglewood Methodist Church in Grand Prairie, Texas. Her faith remained an important part of her life and shaped the love, hope, and kindness she shared with others.

Leta was predeceased by her parents and her brother-in-law Jimmy Branch. Left to cherish her memory are her son Gregg Cato Jr. and his wife Ellen Pepin-Cato, of Seattle, Washington, and their children Hanna and Henry Pepin-Cato; and her daughter Stephanie Crownover and her husband Jason Crownover, of North Richland Hills, Texas, and their children Jensen and Grayson Crownover.

She is also survived by her siblings, Carolyn Branch (Ike) Mercer of Brock, Texas; Cindy Garza (Jay Hamaker) of Austin, Texas; and Larry Mollard (Oanh Nguyen) of Plano, Texas. Her close-knit family also includes two nieces: Kimberly Branch and Jennifer (Dale) Gray; and two nephews: Rusty (Kari) Branch, and Spencer Branch.

Leta will be remembered for her radiant smile, infectious happiness, generous heart, fierce love for her family, and ability to make people feel welcome and cared for. Her life was made up of relationships, laughter, faith, adventure, movies, work she was proud of, and—above all—the people she loved.

A service celebrating Leta’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at Keller’s Old Town Funeral Home. A reception will follow. Burial will take place at Southland Memorial Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Leta’s family hopes you will remember her as she lived: with a smile, a little laughter, and a whole lot of love. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Leta’s memory to the Rare Kidney Disease Foundation at www.rarekidney.org.

To our beloved Mom and Grammy, we Love You Bunches!