With great sadness, we share the news of Kathleen Margaret Otway’s passing. She left us suddenly but peacefully on June 11th, 2026, at her home in Thunder Bay after bravely fighting aggressive salivary gland cancer for three years.
Most people knew her as Kathy, and to her kids, she was ‘Mum’. Born on May 8th, 1965, in Port Arthur, Kathy attended C. D. Howe where she met her lifelong best friend Leila Wennstrom. She later graduated from Hammarskjold High School, a time she always remembered fondly because of the many friendships and memories she made.
Kathy entered the workforce with determination, taking on various roles such as Manager at Mc Donald’s, Sunoco, and Harvey’s. She also spent some time working at Zeller’s and Mirabelli Corporation. Regardless of the job title, she approached every role with a strong work ethic. However, her most important work was being a stay-at-home mother who dedicated herself to caring for her three children-two of whom were born with disabilities. With fierce love, she advocated for them and others like her niece Alice who needed support. She took pride in this role and looked forward to seeing Alice graduate high school this year; though she’s not here physically to witness it, she’ll be watching proudly from above.
Family meant everything to Kathy; they were the center of her universe. She’s survived by her three children: Alyssa Harwood, Allan Otway and Alanah Otway (Jordan), along with step-brothers Bill Warren (Lana) and Jim Warren (Linda), father-in-law Ron Otway and many other family members including siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her fun-loving husband Tom Otway as well as both parents: Allan Mac Donald and the lovely Carolyn Warren; also missed dearly is her beloved step-father Barry Warren. Additionally pre-deceased are mother-in-law Bernice Otway and step-sister Leslie Jordison (Kelly), along with several other cherished relatives and friends who have passed away.
In earlier days, Kathy enjoyed golfing-the open greens matched her energetic personality perfectly. In later years she found joy in spending time by the pool; lounging there during summer days was truly what made her happy. These simple pleasures reflected a woman who knew how to find light in life’s moments.
Though death has taken Kathy from those who loved her dearly, it can’t erase the goodness she brought into so many lives. Her journey exemplified love, strength and dedication; memories of laughter will echo on as those mourning find solace in gratitude for their time together. In quiet moments of remembrance, we’ll hear her laughter again-feel her kindness-and remember all the love she shared.
Kathy’s earthly journey has come to an end but the impact of her life continues through those she influenced-the children she nurtured-the family ties that mattered deeply-and all those souls whose lives were bettered by knowing her example of compassion & resilience. Let us celebrate not just our grief but honor a life filled with love-a life lived generously where giving outweighed receiving-leaving behind an imprint of courage & grace.
We want to express our gratitude to Dr. Del Paggio along with the cancer care team at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Center for their unwavering support over these last three years while battling cancer-they provided incredible care that we will always appreciate.
A special thanks goes out to Leila Wennstrom and Ben Zoccole for standing by Kathy throughout countless ups and downs-they’ve been true angels helping any way they could during this battle against cancer; even now post-passing they’re tirelessly supporting Kathy’s children through this tough time-we can’t thank them enough for their help during such a difficult loss. Another heartfelt mention goes out to Doug Warren who lovingly drove Kathy wherever she needed-affectionately dubbed ‘the duber’. These relationships formed around Kathy created bonds full of love returned abundantly.
In lieu of flowers please consider donating to Kathy’s children’s Go Fund Me page instead-a celebration of life is planned for later date.
Condolences may be sent via www. nwfainc. com
