Kathleen Mlod Wright

Kathleen Mlod Wright, 78, of Chandler, Arizona passed away in the early morning of December 2, 2023. Kathleen was diagnosed with colon cancer in early May, and her husband, John William (Bill) was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer within 3 weeks to the day. She lost her beloved husband just 34 days later on July 4, 2023. Kathleen survived decades of health issues, even receiving a new liver and kidney 12 years ago which gave her a second chance at life.

Kathleen was known for having the kindest spirit, loving heart, positive energy & quick wit. The greatest loves of her life were her family, God and friends. She was a devout Catholic and her extreme faith in the Lord is what kept her going until the end when He called her home. Knowing that Bill was there to greet her provided great comfort to the family.

Kathleen had a long, wonderful career in high-level administration and was honored with numerous designations and awards. Her proudest achievement was receiving her Bachelor of Science degree at the age of 45.

She was passionate about time with family, avid reading, and watching silly TV shows. She loved lunch with friends, movies & sports – especially watching her favorite team, the Diamondbacks, play in the World Series. Her favorite time of day was morning; coffee with Bill, reading the newspaper and staring out at their beautiful yard. They never missed the daily obituaries. She was not happy when the AZ Republic moved the obituaries to the end of the Sports section. With her great wit, she wrote to the newspaper and said, “dying is not a sport”. They never replied, so it is more than fitting to put this in her obituary!

She had such fond memories of growing up in Brecksville, OH. She kept up with her beloved “Brecksville Bees” high school friends, rarely missing a class reunion. To her, it was like she never left.

Kathleen was born on June 24, 1945 in Cleveland, OH to Helen (Ellen) and George Mlod. She is survived by her children, daughter, Mary Grassl; son, Roger Gumm, granddaughters, Marah & Noelle; brother, Gregory Mlod; Sister-in-law, Shirley Mlod; 3 nieces and a nephew, and 6 grandnieces and grandnephews. Kathleen was extremely blessed with a loving blended family with stepchildren, Sue (Scott) Seminara; Pattie Wright; Chris (Jannea) Wright; Vicki (Aaron) Daggy and 7 step grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her brother, Denis Mlod.

A celebration of Kathleen’s life will be held at Franciscan Renewal Center, 5802 E. Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley, AZ 85253 on Tuesday, December 19th at 2:00pm.

Condolences may be expressed at www.buelermortuary.com.