Catherine W. Ketter
1951-2020
Catherine Wright Ketter, 69, was born March 22, 1951 in Baltimore, Maryland. She passed away in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on June 13, 2020 with Donald J. Ketter, her loving and adoring husband of 45 years, by her side.
She is survived by her two children who she devoted her life to loving, supporting, and uplifting: Christopher W. Ketter (Julie Ketter) of Edmond, Oklahoma and Ellen A. Adams (Charles) of Edmond, Oklahoma.
The joy of her life was spending time with her five grandchildren who she endlessly adored. She was nicknamed "KK" by her first grandchild, and it stuck. Emma (12), Luke (7), Abby (6), Ben (5), and Jack (3) were blessed beyond measure by the time she spent with them and the enduring imprint she has left on each of their lives.
She was also survived by her siblings: Don Wright; John Wright; Mary von Ziegesar; Alys Wright; Peter Wright; and Tim Wright. Catherine, who everyone called Kate or Katie, was predeceased by her parents Richard and Adele Wright and her oldest sibling Fred Wright.
She was an eternal optimist who approached every trial in this life with hope and a vision of possibility. She had an over-abundance of patience, which beautifully translated into her career as a teacher who worked with children with special needs. She obtained a bachelor's degree from Boston University in education, and she impacted countless lives as an educator. When she would encounter former students and their families, they would tell her how much she meant to them. Being who she was, of course, she always seemed surprised and humbled rather than proud.
Kate never had a bad thing to say about anyone and had a tenderness that came in the most genuine form. She spoke her love through her actions not just in sentimentalities. She showed up to give you things before you knew you needed them. She was always looking for ways to give of herself to benefit others. After her eldest granddaughter spent months in a neonatal intensive care unit, she hand-knitted hats to donate to the other little babies. When the world was hit by the coronavirus, she bought a sewing machine to help make masks. She dedicated herself to her husband, her children and her grandchildren.
As said in Proverbs about the wife of noble character, she is worth far more than rubies. There is a void on this Earth in her absence, but she is with our Heavenly Father in a place that He prepared for her. Although we mourn for our beloved wife, mother, sister, and "KK", we know that because of her faith she is at peace, and her body has been restored to live for eternity in the presence of God. We find peace in the promise that we will someday be raised up with her and see her again.
A private Requiem Mass will be held at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Edmond, Oklahoma. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Down Syndrome Association of Central Oklahoma.