Catherine Denell (Bowles) Carter

Catherine "Cathy" (Bowles) Carter passed away peacefully on Feb. 5 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. 

Cathy was born in Oklahoma City to John and Jean Bowles and attended Capitol Hill Baptist and First Baptist Churches. She graduated from Southeast High School, Oklahoma City, and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Oklahoma Baptist University. 

On July 22, 1978 she married the love of her life, Robert "Bob" Carter and moved to Enid, where she taught in Drummond. They moved to Tulsa where their son, Robert Todd, was born. Upon moving to Oklahoma City they added a daughter, Calee, to their family. Cathy taught in several Oklahoma City Schools, including Lee, North Highland, Parmalee and John Adams Elementary Schools. 

She worked alongside her husband Bob, who was a children’s pastor in Oklahoma City, Rogers, Arkansas; Muskogee, Oklahoma; and Warrensburg, Missouri. She also operated a catering business cooking for small and large events. 

Many young children were the recipient of Cathy’s passion for teaching. However, her greatest passion was the love for her children and grandchildren. She is survived by her husband, Bob; son, Todd; daughter, Calee; and son-in-law, Scott. She is survived by grandchildren, Isabella and Reagan Carter and Paige and Carter Kober. Survivors also include brothers John (Deborah) and Bill (Paula); nephews Ryan (Karen), Joshua (Alexia); nieces Elizabeth (Keith) Peters and Allison Bowles, and many more family members. She also leaves behind a host of friends who were/are teachers and school administrators. 

Her parents and one granddaughter, Brinklee Allison Kober, preceded her in death.

Following in her mother’s footsteps, Cathy was known for creating delicious fried chicken and chow chow. She loved collecting ladybugs, the symbol of her social club at OBU, and apples, a symbol of her long career in teaching.