Merrily Cathay Leach

Merrily Cathay Leach was born on October 30,1957 and passed away on February 19, 2026. She is survived by her husband Doug, son Alexander, daughter Lauren and brother Sam. She was preceded in death by her parents Jack and Vivian, older brother Danny, and many cousins. Born October 30th, 1957, in Mesa, Arizona to Jack and Vivian Forbes. Her family moved around before finally making roots in Spencer, Oklahoma. Growing up in a rural area, Merrily enjoyed horseback riding, being chased by turkeys and roosters, and showing dogs. She attended Star Spencer High School for a year before switching to John Marshall where she graduated. In high school, she met her best friend Kimily and the two went on many fun adventures. She attended Northwestern University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology. She loved living in Evanston and listening to the song “Easy” by the Commodores. One of her favorite memories of living in Evanston was getting to see her favorite singer Joan Baez at the only bar in Evanston called Fritz This is It. After college, she moved back to Oklahoma City where she became a paramedic.

Her life forever changed when she met Doug at a pub on Tinker Air Force Base. The two married on June 6, 1982, on D-day because Doug joked that D-Day meant, “Decision over Doug Day.” With Doug being in the Air Force, they got stationed at Eglin Air Force Base in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Their family grew in March of 1987 when they welcomed a son named Alexander. In May of 1989, Doug got the news that they were getting stationed at Pope Air Force Base in Fayetteville, North Carolina. They resided there until July of 1993 when Doug found out that he was going to come back to Tinker AFB. In November 1993, their family was completed by the birth of their daughter, Lauren. Merrily started a 29-year career with Presbyterian Hospital (now OU Health) in 1995. She worked a variety of different jobs within the hospital.

Outside of work, she enjoyed frequenting various coffee shops, gardening and was a member of the Hosta society, and getting lunch or dinner from various local spots in Oklahoma City with her friends. She loved getting her nails done at Gloss Nail Salon and would tell everyone where she got them done. The French onion soup from the Metro was one of her favorite foods. She loved running and biking on her tricycle. She completed the Oklahoma City Memorial Half Marathon and bike marathon in honor of her daughter Lauren who was a survivor of the Oklahoma City Bombing.

Even though her time on this Earth was short, the lasting impact that she was able to make not only on her family and friends, but also complete strangers, was immense. She will continue to be loved by all the lives she touched. Her memory will live on.

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, February 28th at noon at The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help located at 3214 N. Lake Ave Oklahoma City, OK 73118.