Mary "Kay" Keith

Mary Kathleen (Kay) Stromie Keith was born on July 11, 1933 to George and Emmalee Stromie, the second of four children. She attended Holy Family Cathedral School for twelve years then graduated from Tulsa University with a Business degree and became an executive secretary for Service Pipeline Company. When Service moved to Chicago, Kay opened Kay’s Gift Shop and during this time she married her true love, Charles Wilkes Keith. It was a marriage of love and adventure traveling the world, beginning with their honeymoon cruise to Hawaii then visiting Europe, Russia, China, and many other countries and enjoying numerous cruises. Kay and Wilkes became very involved in projects at Holy Family Cathedral and School and, after Wilkes’ death, she continued volunteering and chaired many charitable and educational projects including being a member of the Order of Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, inducted into the Society of St. Katharine Drexel, a member of the Holy Family Women’s Club, a Parish Council member for 19 years, a recipient of the Jim Foley Award, a board member of the St. Philip Neri Newman Society, and first co-chair of the St. Francis of Assisi Annual Gala. Because of her dedication she was, in 2010, honored and inducted into the Holy Family Cathedral School St. Katharine Drexel Society as recognition of her generosity as one of the wonderful schools’ benefactors, her alma mater. Her brothers, Chauncey Joseph Stromie, George Douglas Stromie, and nephew Christopher Douglas Stromie predeceased her. Her sister, Sandra Theresa Stromie Horton (Ronald) survives her as well as nephew Chauncey Joseph Stromie II and George Douglas’ wife Lolieta Alieen Stromie. Her step-children, Jan Enke, Bonnie Wulff (Bart), Richard Keith, and Caroline White (Miles), grandchildren Keith, Gayle, Jeri, Fred, Kayla, and Krysta and great-grandchildren Kacie, Codie, Kyle, Keith, Alex, Elliott, and Jenevieve, and great-great grandchildren Cale and Bronx, all loved her and called her Mom and Grandma Kay. They gave her such pleasure and she loved and delighted in being with them and sharing their lives. Kay loved life and lived it well. She and Wilkes were devoted to one another and were inseparable. Her devotion to him, to her church, to her extraordinary special friends, her fondness for cruises, football, coneys, the opera and ballet and her beautiful home gave her a glow that all could see. Kay was so loved and admired and she will always be a part of our and her dearest friends’ memories. If desired, charitable contributions can be made to Holy Family Cathedral, Holy Family Cathedral School, or a charity of your choice. Visitation, 2:00-7:00 p.m. Wednesday followed by a Rosary at 7:00 p.m. at Fitzgerald Southwood Colonial Chapel. Mass of Christian Burial, 1:00 p.m. Thursday at Holy Family Cathedral. Graveside services at Calvary Cemetery followed by reception at Fitzgerald Southwood Colonial Chapel, 918-291-3500.

Mary "Kay" Keith

July 11, 1933 - October 26, 2019