Katherine McCraw

Katherine Wood McCraw passed away peacefully at her Oklahoma City home on December 27, surrounded by family and friends. Born in Ardmore, Oklahoma, in 1946 to DeWitt and Melrose Hale McCraw, Katherine grew up an energetic child who excelled in her teenage years as a competitive junior golfer and salutatorian of her Ardmore High School graduating class. At the University of Oklahoma, she pledged Kappa Kappa Gamma—an organization in which she remained active in her later life as an officer—and earned a B.S. in Education with Special Distinction before completing an M.S. in Reading Education while working as a school teacher in Norman.

After marrying and having children, Katherine pivoted to achieve certification as a Certified Public Accountant and pursue a new professional vocation while raising her son and daughter as a single mother. Over the course of her career, she worked for the State of Oklahoma as an auditor and business specialist at the Department of Commerce, as a financial reporting analyst and accounting supervisor at the Office of State Finance, and finally as assistant chief financial officer for the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System. Upon her so-called retirement in 2011, Katherine applied her professional skills to serve organizations like Oklahoma City’s Myriad Botanical Gardens and Jesus House while also remaining active as an after-school tutor, docent at the Fred Jones, Jr. Museum of Art, and at First Presbyterian Church as a member of several committees, Sunday school teacher, and Stephen Ministry Deacon.

Known for her generosity, compassion, perseverance, honesty, and sense of humor, Kathy—as she was known to many—enjoyed gardening, golfing, visual art, home renovation projects, traveling the world, and spending time with her friends and especially her children, in whom she instilled a love of culture, hard work, and a strong ethical compass. She is survived by her son John Selvidge, daughter Ellen Selvidge, son-in-law Logan Gelsie, sister Mary Locke Cashman, and many good friends who will all miss her laughter, insight, adventurous spirit, and genuine love of life.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, January 3rd, at 3 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City, 1001 NW 25th Street. All are welcome to attend.