Katherine Maura Treece

It is with great sadness the children of Katherine Maura Treece announce her passing on January 15, 2026, at the age of 91. Kathy, or Katie, as many in her family called her, was born on May 21, 1934, in El Paso Texas, to William and Luz Maria O’Donovan, the only daughter and oldest of four children.

During her childhood, the family moved from El Paso, Texas, to Oakland, California, to Reno, Nevada. After losing their home in a flood during her junior year, her father relocated the family to Hawthorne, Nevada after accepting a job at the Naval Ammunition Depot.

Although her dream was to graduate from her beloved Bishop Manogue Catholic HS in Reno, due to the relocation, she graduated instead from Mineral County HS in 1952. Known for her positive and can-do attitude, she fully embraced her new school and became active in sports, cheerleading and as many clubs as she could. However, her former classmates at Bishop Manogue welcomed her back for class reunions, which was something she rarely missed.

After graduation, Kathy began her career as a Federal employee at the Naval Ammunition Depot, as an Alarm Room Operator and Secretary for the Depot’s Fire Chief. It was at this time that she met the love of her life, Denzel Treece, a Marine, stationed at the Depot after serving as a Mortar man during the Korean War. Once Denzel learned the girl with beautiful, long, black hair was the Alarm Room Operator, he was determined to win her heart and they married on her 20th birthday.

While stationed at the Depot, they had two sons, Michael and David. Once Denzel left the service in 1957, the family relocated to Edmond (Denzel’s hometown), where he served on the Edmond Fire Department and Kathy was a stay-at-home mom. While in Edmond, the family added two sons, Dean and Dale, and a daughter, Myra. In 1960, Denzel transferred back to Hawthorne to rejoin the Naval Ammunition Depot Fire Department and Kathy resumed her Federal employment after giving birth to their youngest daughter, Marie. The family remained in Hawthorne until 1967, when they made their final move back to Edmond. Denzel was a Fireman and retired as the Assistant Fire Chief at Tinker AFB, while Kathy worked in the Base Comptroller’s Office. While working at Tinker, Kathy was involved with the Tinker Management Team, Toastmasters, and honored as the Outstanding Hispanic Worker in 1987. Because of her outstanding work performance, her supervisor selected her for a pilot program designed to train workers in other fields to become computer programmers. She loved the challenge and worked in the department until her retirement in 1988.

Throughout her life, Kathy loved learning new things and challenging herself professionally and personally. For as long as her children can remember, her New Year’s resolution was to learn something new. Her range of interests were wide and varied, learning skills such as welding, macramé, stained glass, scrapbooking, calligraphy, playing the piano, jewelry making, cross-stitch, and quilting, to name a few. Even though some stuck with her, others did not. However, one thing was for certain, once she found something she loved to do, she perfected her skills and created beautiful and cherished heirlooms for the family to enjoy for generations.

Kathy also had a passion for a good book, often reading 3 to 4 a week. However, her children would say that sewing was her greatest passion. She learned as a child and continued throughout her life often making clothes on a little Featherweight, which she eventually used to teach her daughters and granddaughters on as well. Often referred to as “her original machine”, Kathy prided herself in making matching holiday clothes for her children as proven by many a family photo.

Kathy spent a great deal of her time involved with her children’s activities, often alone while Denzel was on a 24-hour shift. She volunteered to be a Cub Master for Boy Scouts, take the boys on their early morning paper routes, attend Band concerts and competitions, FFA shows, and 4-H events. Kathy was also a dedicated and devoted member of the Parish of St. John’s since 1957. She serviced as both President and Vice-President of the Women’s Society, Director of Funeral Dinners, taught Catechism Class, was a Guardian of the Eucharist, a member of the Linen Ministry, and on the Hospitality Committee. She, along with her mother, worked with others to gain the funds to open St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School, and spent time as one of their “grand-friends”. However, of all the volunteer work she did, nothing was dearer to her heart than establishing the St. Theresa Quilt Guild, along with close friends. This ministry continues today making lap quilts for those going through Cancer treatment and Quilts of Valor for Veterans. Kathy considered her sewing room her happy place and anyone who knew her would say it was in a constant state of activity, with several projects going on at the same time.

Because of her unwavering devotion to the Parish, Kathy received Outstanding Member in 1996 and in 1997, and The Women of Achievement honor for 1999-2000.

Kathy is preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, Tom (Patty) and Gene O’Donovan, her husband, Denzel, and son-in-law, Rusty. She is survived by her six children, Michael (Rise) of Amarillo, Texas, David (Marci) of Towson, Maryland, Dean (Kim) and Dale (Tanya) of Edmond, Myra Robinson, of Littleton, Colorado, and Marie (Steve) Whitehead of Edmond. Along with her twenty-four grandchildren, and twenty-five great-grandchildren, brother William O’Donovan of Winterhaven, CA, and sister-in-law Gail O’Donovan of El Cajon, CA, and many nieces and nephews and friends who she dearly loved.

There will be a wake and visitation on Friday, February 6 at Mathews Funeral Home in Edmond from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., with family present from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. with the wake beginning at 6:00 p.m..

A Mass celebrating her beautiful life will be at 10:00 a.m., February 7 at St. John’s in Edmond. Interment at Memorial Park will follow the Mass.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations to be made in Kathy's name to the Alzheimer's Association, https://www.alz.org/oklahoma.