Kathryn O’Leary

Kathryn O’Leary, working mother, devoted wife, entrepreneur, lifelong learner, and matriarch of a large and loving family, passed away peacefully on April 17, 2025. She was 91 years old.

Born on January 1, 1934, in Newton, Iowa, she arrived as the town’s New Year’s baby—a fitting beginning for a woman who would come to be the center of so many celebrations. She was the daughter of Judith and Leslie Oliphant, and the younger sibling to her late sister, Wanda Kaldenberg. She graduated from Newton Senior High School with the Class of 1951 and went on to pursue education throughout her life, eventually learning office management and computer skills as an adult.

At just 14, Kathy began working at the local movie theater in Newton. By her late teens, she had held jobs at both the neighborhood grocery store and a jewelry shop. These early roles were only a prelude to a life of remarkable balance: raising four children while running a business alongside her husband, Donald “Gene” O’Leary. The two were married on December 21, 1951, and shared nearly 60 years of partnership, parenting, and adventure until Gene’s passing in 2011.

She and Gene worked with his parents, Virgil and Louise O’Leary, at B&O Service Sales in Iowa before moving their growing family to Colorado in the late 1960s. There, they launched their own electronics company and later played an integral role in building WarrenTech, an award-winning electronic warranty business. Their work took them across the country—Washington, Connecticut, and Texas among their stops—before they returned to Colorado to retire near their children and grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Gene. She is survived by her four children: Mike O’Leary (Claire), Judith Maciel (Robert), Patricia England (Ron), and Dan O’Leary (Gayle); as well as ten grandchildren: Krista Connerly (Jonathan), Jonathan Reynolds (Wendy), Leanne Holitza (Matt), Kristine Hamilton (Thad), Kim Maciel (Jarod), Jen Maciel (Josh), Ryan O’Leary (Tarra), Brandon O’Leary (Caitlin), Tyler O’Leary (Diana), and Riley O’Leary; and fourteen amazing great-grandchildren — all of whom fondly carry her memory forward.

Kathy’s life was not defined by one title, but by many—wife, mother, leader, host, friend, and the steady, loving heart of a sprawling family. She lived with intention and warmth and left behind a legacy that will not fade.

A memorial gathering will be planned in the coming weeks. In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to donate to the American Lung Association to support lung cancer research.