THE VILLAGE, Okla — It took no effort for friends, family, and civic leaders to recall Cathy Cummings’ life of expressed love and service to the community in The Village Thursday.
Cancer claimed her life at a relatively young age in February. But, Thursday, the recollection of the many great things Cathy did and the smart, funny, and cute things she said overpowered whatever sadness those gathered might have felt.
Husband Sean, two of her three daughters, and one of Sean’s sons were at the event and didn’t seem to be able to catch their breath between one person after another approaching them to talk about what Cathy had meant to them, the community, and the metro.
The gathering’s stated purpose was to unveil two signs on Hefner Parkway memorializing Cathy and her achievements.
But, the crowd who respected and loved Cathy took over and turned the whole thing into a fun memorial of Cathy’s impact on their collective and individual lives.
People who had a wide variety of experiences with Cathy took turns recalling all that was good about her.
Family talked about her passion and love for them and family. In Cathy’s restaurant, Vito’s Ristorante, the walls are covered with vintage photos of Cathy’s actual family members.
Fellow activists praised Cathy for her incisive thinking about what was wrong with processes in the OKC metro and how they might be fixed.
Fellow City Council members and a former City Manager, Bruce Stone, told of the giant effects Cathy’s winsome leadership had on the city, especially in the passage of the first GO bond.
They were gathered at the new open-air meeting space at The Village City Hall for the official unveiling of commemoration signs at the interchange of Hefner Parkway and Britton Road.
Local business — public service
Cathy and Sean had one restaurant and then three more in succession between the two of them on the Northside of OKC and lived in The Village.
Both were involved as passionately in public service as in their popular restaurants which in the last iteration were/are in the same building.
Cathy had campaigned for Lt. Governor of Oklahoma. Then she ran for and won the campaign to be on the City Council for The Village. She also ran for a County Commissioner seat.
But, her biggest impact was on The Village in turns as a council member and as mayor where she rallied other leaders in the city and then residents to pass the first ever general obligation or GO bond.
The bond vote proved to be a game changer for civic quality of life in The Village. Parks were rebuilt. Sidewalks were installed. Roadways were repaved and reconfigured to accommodate bike lanes.
One of those projects was the open-air facility where Thursday’s event was being held, built for gathering and enjoying each other’s presence.
Cathy’s daughters continue to run Vito’s, which she founded, as Sean continues to run his Irish Pub.
And, the City of the Village continues to improve both its infrastructure and its civic spirit because of Cathy’s influence.
The signs seem small in comparison to the impact she has had but they are no less welcomed by those who knew and loved her.
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.