Catherine (Cathy) Ator, 82, died Sunday, February 18, 2024 at Villa St. Francis following a long battle with cancer. She was born March 9, 1941 in Ransom, KS to Mathias and Mary (Roths) Friess. She graduated from Sacred Heart high school in Wichita, KS in 1959. Cathy was the 2nd youngest of 19 children. She married Robert (Bob) Ator on February 14, 1963. They built a wonderful life together in Prairie Village. They owned and operated Overland Park Bait and Tackle for many years. They also operated many service stations in the Kansas City area. Cathy was known for being a kind, soft-hearted soul, loved, and admired by everybody who knew her. She was an avid sports fan, always rooting for the Royals, Chiefs, and K-State Wildcats. Cathy loved spending time with her granddaughters, attending royals games, being outdoors, always had a bag of Dove chocolates handy, and prepared the best tuna tetrazzini.

She leaves behind her son, Kevin Ator; 3 grandchildren, Jordan Ator, Bridget Ator, and Andrew Jokumsen; 2 sisters, Mary Frances Flax and Rosella Mclain; 3 brothers, Harold Friess, Frederick Friess, and Maurice Friess. She is preceded in death by her husband Bob; her sisters, Laurene, Marjorie, Annamae, Janice and Sister Janice; her brothers, Cletus, Elmer, Louis, Eugene, Donald, Warren, Bernard, and Dan Friess and her parents.

Visitation will be held at 9 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass at 10 a.m. on Friday, February 23, at St. Ann Catholic Church, 7231 Mission Road Prairie Village, KS. Please feel free to join the family for lunch following the service. Burial will be at the Resurrection Cemetary at 1:30 p.m. The family would like to thank the Villa St. Francis and Catholic Community hospice caregivers for their loving support and compassion.