Catherine "Cathy" M. (O'Connor) Leedom, 71, of Souderton, formerly of Philadelphia, passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 12, 2021 at Hidden Meadows on the Ridge in Sellersville.

She was born at Chestnut Hill Hospital to the late George and Mary (Reid) O'Connor.

She grew up in Wyndmoor, primarily raised by her grandmother, the late Mary Ellen (Distel) Reid.

After graduating from Bishop McDevitt High School, she worked at Honeywell into her 20s but held a variety of jobs, including as a waitress, a pet store clerk, and a census taker. Once her daughters were in school, she worked for over 20 years in the food service of Souderton Area School District, including serving as the cafeteria manager at Lower Salford Elementary School for most of that time. However, her most treasured roles were as a wife, mother, and grandmother, and her most important role in recent years was watching her three much beloved grandsons.

Cathy was a constant reader from an early age, spending a lot of time browsing at the local library. She was an amazing cook and baker, especially spaghetti sauce, beef stew with dumplings, and pizzelles. She even mastered the macaron in her later years. She was known for detailed and enthusiastic storytelling, accompanied by her unforgettable, warm laugh. She was a tenacious, if not always successful, gardener, but she did manage to keep a spider plant alive for over 25 years. Cathy was always up for a road trip, preferably driving stick shift and listening to favorite music like Hall and Oates, Carole King, Carly Simon, and Fleetwood Mac. Her most favorite trips were to Prince Edward Island, Disney, Ireland, and yearly family trips to Sea Isle City. As an adult, she never met anyone with whom she didn't want to hold a long conversation. She always fell in love with and took care of all of the animals that her husband brought home, especially their dogs Max and Cotton. She was especially known for her positive and enduring spirit, even during her long illness.

She is survived by her two daughters, Amanda Johnson and her husband Joshua of Souderton and Jennifer of Aston; her grandsons Nicholas, Noah, and Nathan Johnson of Souderton; her niece, who was like a daughter to her, Donna Steranko and her husband Bob of Mantua, NJ, along with Donna's sons (Cathy's cherished nephews), Bobby, Ryan, and Brandon; her brother Michael O'Connor and wife Barbara of Sterling, VA; and many cousins and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband of 38 years, Jonathan "Johnny" Leedom. She missed him greatly every day of the nine years that they were apart and her family takes comfort in knowing that they are together again.

Cathy's main passion in life was to create a safe, supportive, and loving family and she did. She built a community of people for her daughters to depend on even now that she's gone, including her best friend of many years, Susan Lloyd and her husband Doug of Wilmington, DE; Johnny's and her best friend Bill Tymick of Cinnaminson, NJ; her cousin Irene Ritzmann and her husband Larry of Silver Spring, MD; and many others. We will cherish the endless support and love she gave everyone. If anyone needed her, she was always there and would go above and beyond for those she loved.

Graveside services will be held at the Whitemarsh Memorial Park, 1169 Limekiln Pike, Ambler, PA, 19002 on Wednesday, December 15 ^th at 11 AM. A Celebration of Life service will be held in the month of May.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in her memory to: Indian Valley Education Foundation, 760 Lower Road, Souderton, PA. 18964 ATTN: Leedom Memorial Fund OR Online at www.IndianValleyEF.org

Arrangements by: Anders-Detweiler Funeral Home & Crematory, 130 East Broad Street, Souderton, Pennsylvania 18964. To send online condolences to the family, visit www.andersfh.com