Last Updated on February 13, 2024, 12:43 PM | Published: February 12, 2024
OKLAHOMA CITY — The ever popular and beloved Cathy Cummings has died at the age of 62, a victim of incurable cancer.
Cathy Cummings had several simultaneous roles in Oklahoma City, being the owner of Vito’s Ristorante, a popular Italian Restaurant, and as a City Council member and then, mayor of The City of the Village as well as an authoritative voice in the local Democratic Party.
Her husband, Sean Cummings, who owns Sean’s Irish Restaurant in the same building, notified the community of her death through a Facebook post Saturday.
“Cathy was an exceptional mother, wife, friend, former mayor of The Village, and owner of Vito’s Ristorante,” wrote her husband. “Beyond her beauty, I married her for her remarkable personality. Cathy’s positivity was unparalleled, bringing out the best in everyone she encountered. Her absence will be deeply felt by family, friends, constituents, and customers.”
The family encourages people who want to memorialize Cathy to do so by giving to a GoFundMe account instead of sending flowers. The fund will be used for “alleviating school lunch debt in our public schools.”
“This gesture is a poignant tribute to Cathy’s unwavering dedication to our community,” read the account.
Vito’s Ristorante
Cathy’s Italian restaurant, Vito’s Ristorante or just “Vito’s” to those who frequented it, was popular in the community, drawing wall-to-wall crowds.
People enjoyed the home recipes that Cathy had from her upbringing in a very traditional Italian family in the historic Italian section of Kansas City.
While some assumed that all the photos on the walls were just collected from wherever for a rustic effect, the photos were actually of Cathy’s relatives, which she was pointing out when we got this shot.
But, it wasn’t just the food that drew people in.
People experienced Cathy as a uniquely smart, positive, cheerful, and loving person who also didn’t mind working hard in the business.
Public service
I first met Cathy and Sean when I interviewed Cathy during her run for Lt. Governor in 2014 while working for another publication.
She was on the move with the goal of campaigning in person in all 77 counties which was far beyond what most recent governors have done.
And, even though she lost that race to the incumbent, it gave her the experience and knowledge of campaigning that paid off later.
Just three years later, Cathy won a City Council seat in The Village in the OKC north metro. She won the seat by knocking doors and listening.
Here is our report of the win, with a video (not the best we have done) of Cathy doing her characteristic strong job of talking about what she learned knocking doors in The Village:
In 2022, she decided to run for an open Oklahoma County Commissioner seat and was defeated by Myles Davidson, who up until that point was the first assistant to Kevin Calvey. Calvey did not run again in order to pursue what turned out to be a failed bid for District Attorney in the same election.
Cummings’ impact on the county and on The Village will continue to last for years to come.
A year after her election to The Village City Council, Cummings rallied the City Council and residents for an election that saw 80% of The Village voters saying yes to general obligation (GO) bonds for parks, streets, sidewalks, and other major improvements and a permanent half-cent sales tax to strengthen the services the city could offer.
Remembrance and funeral services
A Celebration of Life event in The Village is being planned for Sunday, February 25, from 4 PM to 7 PM at the new Civic Plaza next to City Hall at 2304 Manchester Dr, Oklahoma City, OK 73120. Watch this space for more info later about food.
Information for the wake, funeral, and luncheon afterward in the Kansas City area this Friday, February 16:
- Wake — 9:30 AM at Holy Rosary Catholic Church at 911 E Missouri Ave, Kansas City, MO 64106
- Funeral Mass — 11:00 AM at Holy Rosary
- Luncheon — 1:30 PM at Cascone’s, 3737 N Oak Trafficway, Kansas City, MO 64116.
If you plan to attend the wake and Mass in Kansas City, please let Sean know.
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
