Katherine Marie Orr (née Horacek), of Parkville, Missouri, passed away peacefully on June 12, 2026, under hospice care in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Born July 31, 1943, in Denison, Iowa, Kathy was the beloved daughter of Emil and Lucille Horacek. She is survived by her brothers, Michael Horacek of Midlothian, Virginia, and Emil John Horacek II of Charlotte, North Carolina. She was preceded in death by her parents, one brother, Robert James and a sister, Sandra Lee.

Kathy was baptized, confirmed, and raised in the Lutheran faith. She was a lifelong believer and worshiped at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, where she met the love of her life, James Gardner Orr. It was there they were married and shared many happy years together until Jim's passing.

Kathy was loved into being by her immediate family and an extended family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, most of whom lived in Fremont, Nebraska where Kathy and her siblings were raised. Family gatherings were the rule, not a sometime event. Horacek photo albums provide scores of pictures recording the familial bonds.

Kathy attended Midland Lutheran College just four blocks from her home. During a time when women's collegiate athletics had yet to receive formal recognition, she excelled in basketball and was named to Midland's Women's Recreational Activity All-Star Basketball Team during her sophomore year.

After college, Kathy moved to Boulder and later Denver, Colorado, beginning her career in banking and insurance. In the mid-1970s, she relocated to the Kansas City area and eventually made her home in Parkville, Missouri, where she lived for the remainder of her life. She enjoyed a successful career, retiring in 2017 as Branch Manager of Platte Valley National Bank.

Kathy cherished lifelong friendships, treasured Jim's family as her own, and adored her beloved dogs-Sookie, EZ Dog, A.J., and Ginger. She loved tending her vegetable garden and embraced every opportunity to travel, especially fishing. Kathy rarely missed the chance to cheer on her favorite Kansas City teams and was an unwavering supporter of the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers (Go Big Red!)

Although Kathy and Jim had no children together, Kathy was blessed with a bonus family when she married Jim. She is survived by Jim's six children-Rick, Wendy, Kathy, Jay, James and Jackie and their families. She embraced each of them as her own, and they lovingly came to know her as "Kathy-Mom" and many of her bonus-grandchildren affectionately called her "Mimi." She was also a devoted honorary mother to Robert's daughters-Lara, Melissa, and Rebecca. There is no doubt that her bonus children, grandchildren, nieces, and extended family were among the greatest blessings of her life. Kathy's unconditional love, spirit, and support created a legacy of family that reached far beyond blood.

In Mitch Albom's "Tuesdays With Morrie" the author shares Morrie's perspective: "Death ends a life, not a relationship. All the love you created is still there. All the memories are still there. You live on-in the hearts of everyone you have touched and nurtured while you were here." And so it is.

On Friday, July 31 a Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:00am at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 5409 NW 72nd Street, KC, MO. Prior to the service, there will be an opportunity to meet Kathy's friends and family beginning at 9:30am.. Light refreshments will be served

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Kansas City Star from Jul. 25 to Jul. 26, 2026.