Kathleen Kearney, age 83, of Montrose, Colorado, passed away peacefully on September 5, 2026.

Born on October 21, 1942, in Crowley, Louisiana, Kathleen was the daughter of the late Dorys Mitchell Reed and James E Reed. As a young lady in the South, she was crowned Queen of the Children’s Carnival in Lafayette, Louisiana and served as Senior Class President at Lafayette High. She graduated from Lafayette High School in 1960, attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana, and graduated from Regis University in Denver, Colorado in 1992.

In 1962, Kathleen married Tom Kearney, with whom she shared 64 wonderful years of marriage and three children. Kathleen and Tom moved their family from Louisiana to Houston, Texas in 1969; and realized their dream when the family moved to Montrose, Colorado in 1980. During her 46 years in Montrose, Kathleen showed boundless energy and commitment to her many community and social endeavors. Upon her arrival in Montrose, she became an active member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, serving on its parish council as well as being a lector and a greeter over the years. She served on boards for the Academic Booster Club and Historic Montrose Downtown. After moving to the Cobble Creek community in 2015, she joined the Hospitality Committee and served as its chairperson for several years. She also served on numerous committees for the Cobble Creek Ladies’ Golf League. She began volunteering at Heirlooms for Hospice around 2019, thoroughly enjoying that pursuit as both a volunteer and one of Heirlooms’ best customers.

Kathleen worked for State Farm Insurance for 16 years and for Dr. Richard Shannon for seven years. She loved to hike, play pickleball and golf, snowshoe, work in her garden, feed her birds, and play many games including bridge, which she had played since college. Her true passion was travel – and Kathleen and Tom reveled in their adventures to Italy, Australia, Peru, and so many other rewarding destinations. She proudly wore the badge of being “a good cooker.” And she cherished everything about the holidays – especially decorating and admiring her Christmas tree – and a 38-year tradition of family Thanksgivings in Phoenix, never complete without a batch of her world-famous gumbo.

More than anything, Kathleen treasured the people in her life. Her kindness, southern hospitality, and unwavering devotion to her family and friends will be remembered by everyone fortunate enough to know her.

She is survived by her three children, Brian (Karin), Kim and Allison (Mike); five grandchildren, Kolby (Leah), Shea (Jackie), Dylan (Mariah), Aaron and Isaac; four great-grandchildren, James, Ava, Tatum and Reed; and her brother, David Reed (Debbie and daughter, Kate).

A funeral mass will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Montrose on October 16 at 10:00 a.m. Private interment will immediately follow. All are welcome to a Celebration of Kathleen’s Life at the Cobble Creek Golf Course Clubhouse from 12:30-2:30. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to HopeWest or the San Juan Cancer Center in Montrose.