Betty Kathryne “Katy” McCreery
1925 – 2019
Betty Kathryne “Katy” McCreery, 93, passed away on March 27, 2019 at home with her loving husband after years of battling Alzheimer’s. Katy was born November 20, 1925 in Ada, Oklahoma to Ernestine and James A. Leverett. She was the oldest of three siblings and she married Jerry Edward McCreery on June 25, 1949 at University Place Christian Church in Oklahoma City where she was the youth pastor.
Katy highly valued education and followed in the footsteps of her mother who held an Ed.D in English Literature and was a college professor. Katy completed her bachelor’s degree in Religious Education at Phillips University in Enid, OK and went on to earn a master’s degree in education at Central State University in Edmond, OK which later became known as the University of Central Oklahoma. She chose to teach first grade in at-risk schools in low income areas of Oklahoma City in order to ensure that the children’s education got started on a firm foundation. She cared deeply about her students and often went above and beyond by providing coats for children who came to school in the cold without one, maintaining a supply of snacks and breakfast foods for children who came to school hungry and purchasing supplies for children whose parents couldn’t afford them.
Raised across the street from tennis courts in Ada, Katy became an avid tennis player. She also enjoyed square dancing with Jerry and the couple danced in two square dancing clubs in Oklahoma City during the 1950s. Katy was a devout Christian who sang in the choir, taught Sunday school and served in church leadership. A devoted mother and grandmother, Katy raised two children, David and Jennifer, with Jerry. She was deeply involved in the lives of her three grandchildren whom she played an active role in helping to raise.
Katy is survived by her husband Jerry, daughter Jennifer McCreery Kalkman, grandson Matthew Schaben, granddaughter Melissa Schaben Martin and grandson Jerrett McCreery. She was preceded in death by her son, David McCreery, mother Ernestine Anderson Leverett, father James Leverett, brother James “Bill” Leverett, sister Mary Leverett Knipe and grandmother Eva Graves Anderson who helped raise her.