Kathy Jean Groom, a loving mother, partner, friend, and protector of animals, died Thursday morning, November 21st, 2019, peacefully at home in Bee Branch, Arkansas.
Kathy managed a dental practice with her husband of 27 years, Stanley Stuart Groom, in Tulsa, OK, where she cared for patients as a dental assistant. Early in her career, she worked as an instructor at Bryan Institute in Tulsa, where she was voted “Favorite Professor” -- one of her most rewarding accolades.
A mother before all else, she never missed an opportunity to remind her children, Lucas Wade Groom of Albuquerque, NM and Rebecca Kathleen Groom of New York, NY, that they were her proudest accomplishments.
Her favorites, however, were her beloved grandchildren: D’Mitri Marcus Delcambre, 16, Ethan Lucas Groom, 12, Aidan Patrick Scott, 11, Nathan Christopher Groom, 8, Gavin Douglass Scott, 8, and their little sister, Olivia Cosima Groom, 4. Nothing made her happier than spending time with them.
“She had a really good heart,” said her grandson, Ethan.
Kathy was born on November 18, 1952 in St. Louis, MO to banker Harold Smith and Betty Marie Bettes. She attended Lutheran High School, where she excelled in the dramatic arts, and was cast as lead in several theatrical productions. She studied dental assisting at Meramec St. Louis Community College, during which time she met and married Stanley, who was attending dental school at Washington University in St. Louis.
Of her childhood in Missouri, she fondly recalled exploring in nature around her family’s estate, where she and her brother, Randal Smith, searched the property for Native American artifacts. There, she rode horses, and her father raised bird dogs.
She most recently made a home with her partner Patrick O’Dell, in Bee Branch, Arkansas, near Greers Ferry Lake. Together they enjoyed building their cabin, early morning fishing expeditions (where Kathy, a former race car driver, loved to floor it in her speedboat), and tending to their vegetable garden.
When not in nature, caring for animals or her babies, Kathy could also be found enjoying classic movies -- especially sci-fi -- and letting out her iconic uninhibited laugh to her favorite comedy sketches. Anything that combined the two was her happy place.
Kathy loved her family and friends without expectation, with no strings attached. All who knew her were benefited by her unconditional love, fierce devotion and support, and her positive, fun-loving spirit.
Her life was a rare and profound gift to us all, and we will miss her every day.
Funeral services will be held at West Side Baptist Church in Greers Ferry, AR on Tuesday, November 26th at 11:00 a.m. Visitation will be one-hour prior. Burial will follow at Shiloh Crossroads Cemetery near Greers Ferry.
All are invited and welcome to attend. If you are unable, please spend the day in nature, or watching a good movie with loved ones.
Laughter encouraged.

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