Katherine O’Donnell Greenleaf died April 17, 2026 at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, from osteosarcoma.
Kathy was born on September 22, 1942 in New Haven, Connecticut to John and Katherine Ann O’Donnell. She was raised in Augusta, Maine, alongside her four brothers. At Cony High school, she was active in basketball, field hockey, and glee club. She went on to graduate from Boston College School of Nursing in 1964. During her time in Boston, she met David Greenleaf, her husband of 61 years.
Kathy and Dave began their life together in Brighton, Massachusetts, and over the years made homes in Bennington, Vermont; Rumford, Maine; and ultimately Norway, Maine, where they settled in 1985 and built a lasting community.
Kathy began her nursing career at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston. After time away to raise her family, she returned to work at Market Square Health Care Center in South Paris, Maine before finding her vocation as a school nurse at the Guy E. Rowe School in Norway, Maine. Kathy cared for generations of local children, holding a special fondness for those who visited regularly, her “frequent flyers.”
A deeply engaged member of the community, Kathy volunteered at the Oxford Hills Food Pantry and the Cancer Resource Center of Maine. She was a communicant of Saint Catherine of Sienna Church in Norway for over 30 years. An active member of the Norway Country Club Ladies Association and the Heywood Club, she also found joy and friendship at her knitting, book, and writing groups.
Kathy was a longtime runner, cross country skier, tennis player, hiker, biker, and golfer. She proudly boasted of the running race in which she was second place to local Olympian Joan Benoit Samuelson, sometimes omitting that there were only two women in the race. Many of her closest friendships were forged from active pursuits: coffee after the gym, Boston trips for the women’s 10k race, her beloved IO group weekends to Acadia, ski trips to Craftsbury, and earning her membership into the Appalachian Mountain Club 4000-Footer Hiking Club. She and Dave covered countless miles together, walking the golf course, hiking at Roberts or Shephard’s Farm, skiing throughout New England, and biking the foothills of western Maine.
Family was the most important part of Kathy’s life, and her favorite role was grandparent. She was “Ammie” to seven grandchildren who will remember her famous silver dollar pancakes, rollicking Thanksgiving bingo games, and boundless energy and love for each of them.
Kathy was predeceased by her parents; her brother, Jack O’Donnell; her sisters-in-law, Jet Price and Bette Gilchrist; her brother-in-law, Teddy Greenleaf; and her nephews, Billy O’Donnell and Tod Gilchrist.
She is survived by her husband, David; her children, David (Linda Clary), Daniel (Kate), Jennifer, and Megan (Sean Toussaint); and her grandchildren, Olivia, Jackson, Daniel, Jess, Timothy, Margaret, and Ian. She is also survived by her brothers, James (Mary Wills) O’Donnell, Joseph O’Donnell, and Stephen (Judy Brooks) O’Donnell; her sister-in-law, Jackie O’Donnell; her brothers-in-law, Dick Greenleaf (Jan) and Tim Gilchrist; and nieces and nephews: Timothy, Rebecca, Sarah, Zeke, Jacob, Diana, and Lillian.
A funeral mass will be held at 11am on Friday, May 1, 2026 at Saint Catherine of Sienna Church in Norway, ME. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Cancer Resource Center of Western Maine, The Western Foothills Land Trust, or the Oxford Hills Food Pantry.