Kathleen Barbara Strubbe

Kathleen “Kathy” Barbara Strubbe (O’Donnell), 78, of Phoenix, Arizona, passed away on September 1, 2023. Kathy was born on November 14, 1944, in Oak Park, Illinois to the Paul W. O'Donnell and Marianne (Misch) O’Donnell. Kathy was also preceded in death by her brother Paul O’Donnell.

Kathy's love was most evident in her role as a mother. She excelled at motherhood and was the foundation of her family. She is survived by her beloved husband of 57 years Thomas Strubbe; daughter Cindy (Strubbe) Westlund and her four children Carter, Lauren, Caylin and Kyle Westlund; son and daughter-in law Scott & Brittny Strubbe and their two children Ireland and TJ Strubbe; son Steven Strubbe and his son Gavin Strubbe; and daughter and son-in-law Victoria (Strubbe) & Michael Zindell and their two sons Sterling and Pierson Zindell. Kathy was a loving grandmother to each of her nine grandchildren.

Kathy is also survived by her dearest cousin Karen (Pugesek) Hearle who was like a sister to her, and Karen’s husband Bill Hearle. Karen is the surviving daughter of Irene (Misch); Raymond Pugesek and sister of Raymond (Buddy) Pugesek Jr.

Kathy was a true role model. She was a devoted and selfless individual, always putting others before herself. Kathy's strength and courage were evident when she battled and overcame breast cancer 30 years ago. She also showed the same resiliency, strength, courage, and positivity during what would be her last fight, while battling pancreatic cancer. Her unwavering faith as a devout Catholic provided her with comfort and guidance throughout her life.

In addition to excelling as a wife, at motherhood, and being the foundation of her family, Kathy had a keen interest in continuously sharpening her thinking skills. She enjoyed spending her free time fixing things, solving riddles, doing jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, and sudoku puzzles and found great satisfaction in the challenge each presented. She was a sweetie who also had a real sweet tooth too. She also had a deep appreciation for animals, especially for dogs and horses.

Kathy and her family would like to thank her oncologist Dr. Anita Koszyk-Szewczyk and the entire staff at Ironwood Cancer Center who treated Kathy throughout her fight with Pancreatic Cancer. Additional heartfelt thanks to the entire staff from Hospice of the Valley,
and everyone else who made her final days on earth more peaceful while being spent in the comfort of her own home alongside her loving husband Tom, and her children and grandchildren.

Kathy Strubbe will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her. Her legacy of selflessness, kindness, and compassion will continue to inspire and guide those whose lives she touched.

The funeral service to honor Kathy's life will be held on September 30, 2023, at 10:30 am at Corpus Christi Catholic Church located at 3350 E Knox Road, Phoenix, AZ 85044. On the following day; October 1, 2023, a Celebration of Life ‘Open House’ will take place from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the private residence of 432 W Thunderhill Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85045. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that contributions be made to the American Cancer Society, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, or Project Purple in Kathy’s memory.