Jane Lepak

Heaven gained an angel when Jane Lepak, 85, died July 5, 2025, in her hometown of Oklahoma City. She was surrounded by her three surviving children – Kittie, David, and Chris – and close family friend Karen Coon McDonald when she passed. She adored her family and loved angels, yellow roses and St. Francis.

Jane was born August 13, 1939, in Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Carl and Mary Patterson. She attended Fort Smith High School and later had brief stints at the University of Arkansas and at Lindenwood College.

In 1959, Jane married Brad Theisen and the couple had four children. They briefly lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and then moved to Fort Smith, Arkansas, before moving to Oklahoma City in 1964.

Once in Oklahoma, Jane was active in the community and especially at Christ the King Catholic Church. Jane was a lecturer, sang in the choir, assisted with cleaning of the church, and later coordinated an Al-Anon hotline to assist those who have drug and alcohol addictions and need assistance in their recovery.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Jane worked at Weight Watchers and taught classes. Her creative Weight Watchers recipes often landed Jane on local television shows.

Around the age of 40, Jane turned a new page that would launch a highly impactful and successful career in drug and alcohol addiction counseling. She went to nursing school at Oklahoma State University-OKC in 1985. Jane earned her bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from the University of Oklahoma in 1991.

Jane married Dr. Louis Lepak Jr., in October 1986. A renowned family counselor and clinical psychologist, Louis was the counseling program director at Catholic Charities in Oklahoma City when he married Jane. The couple were two peas in a pod when it came to counseling. They loved to travel, including to Scotland, where Jane worked at Castle Craig Hospital for two years, and to Hawaii. They took many other trips, some for fun and some for one of them to present at a conference.

Jane was dedicated to her profession and earned several accreditations and certifications, including Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Mental Health Resources (MHR), and Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CAADC).

From 1996 to 1999 Jane was a family therapist at INTEGRIS Health, Inc., in Oklahoma City. Then, from 1999 to 2006, she was a therapist in the adolescent psychology unit at St. Anthony’s Hospital, also located in Oklahoma City. In 2007, Jane was appointed to the Oklahoma Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors, a position she would hold for 12 years, including vice chair from 2009 until 2019.

Jane was an active member of Al-Anon at The May Club for more than 40 years and received her 36-year sobriety pin in 2025. She created the Little House of Hope at the Valley Hope campus in Cushing, Oklahoma, which is a playhouse for children visiting individuals receiving treatment at the rehabilitation center.

Jane earned many recognitions and awards for her long-term commitment to the field of substance abuse and mental health treatment. In 2000, the Oklahoma Drug and Alcohol Professional Counselor Association (ODAPCA) presented her with the Jack Way Oklahoma Alcohol/Drug Counselor of the Year Award. Later in her career, she was awarded the Oklahoma C.A.R.T. Association Helen Cole Lifetime Achievement Award and the Lydia Norie Excellence Award from the ODAPCA.

Jane was preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Mary Patterson, her husband, Dr. Louis Lepak Jr., and her son, Daniel Carl Theisen, and her first husband, Brad Theisen. She is survived by her daughter Mary Katherine “Kittie” McDonald (Randy), son David Theisen (Cristi), and son Chris Theisen (Catherine); stepchildren Vince Lepak (Mary), Jason Lepak (Laura), Page Lepak, and Father Brannon Lepak; 20 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

The family would like to thank Mercy Hospital, St. Anthony’s Hospital, the many rehabilitation entities, and the retirement homes of Heaven House and Epworth Villas for the wonderful care they provided Jane over the last few years.

Mass of Christian Burial for Jane Lepak will be celebrated Friday, July 18, at 10:30 a.m. (CT) at Christ the King Catholic Church, 8005 Dorset Drive, in Oklahoma City. The family will have a private burial for Jane at a later date.