Gable, Kathleen F. (nee Fricke), passed away Thursday, September 10, 2026, at her home surrounded by her family, at the age of 77. She was born in St. Louis, a daughter of John M. and Mary Fricke (nee Gray).

Kathy attended Webster Groves High School and after graduation, the University of Missouri. But the life she built would be defined far less by where she went than by the people, she loved. Kathy devoted herself fully to her family as a wife, mother and eventually grandmother.

She was a constant presence in the lives of her children and grandchildren. Cheering from the sidelines, sitting in the audience at school programs, listening through life's difficult moments and celebrating its happiest ones. She was their supporter, confidante, and sounding board. Having lost her own mother at a young age, Kathy shared an especially close relationship with her daughter, Stacey, one that grew over the years into a deep and enduring friendship.

No one who knew Kathy was ever left, wondering what she thought. She was honest, sharp-witted and wonderfully direct, but beneath that honesty was an extraordinary loyalty to the people she loved.

Kathy also had a uniquely mischievous sense of humor. When she was trying not to laugh, her nostrils would flare, a tell that her family knew well and one that often made everyone laugh even harder. She could be playful and quick with a remark, and her personality filled the rooms she was in. Fierce when it mattered, nurturing when it was needed and entirely unpretentious.

Some of Kathy's happiest memories were made near the water. For years, she and her family spent summers and weekends at their homes at Innsbrook and the Lake of the Ozarks. At the lake, she loved sitting on the porch overlooking the water, where ordinary afternoons often became long, meaningful conversations with her children and grandchildren. Those quiet moments captured so much of who she was. She also treasured spring breaks in St. Pete Beach and trips to Sarasota to visit her brother, and she loved walking outdoors and along the beach whenever she had the chance.

Kathy enjoyed tennis and dancing and had a special love for the music of Lionel Richie and The Temptations. She had an effortless sense of style, gravitating toward black and white and always keeping things classic. She loved dogs, both her own and the many granddogs who became part of the family. She also gave generously of her time, volunteering with Parkway Schools and John Burroughs School, where she enjoyed connecting with students, teachers and fellow parents.

Her love was tangibly recognizable in the traditions she created. Holidays and birthdays came with Grammy's famous ice cream pie, spaghetti and green bean casserole, the kinds of dishes that became inseparable from family gatherings because she was the one who made them. They were small traditions in the scope of a lifetime, but exactly the kind that become priceless when someone is gone.

The life and marriage she shared with Steven were admired by so many and formed the heart of the family they built together. From that foundation, her home was filled with laughter, and being with Kathy meant there was almost always a story to tell, a joke to share or a reason to laugh.

Kathy is the beloved wife of Steven L. Gable; dear mother of Stacey Drake and Ryan (Courtney) Gable; loving grandmother of Bryce Drake, Makinsey Drake, Molly Drake, Morgan Gable, Devon Gable and Colin Gable; dear sister of John (Alynna) Fricke; and a cherished relative and friend to many others.

She leaves behind many dear friends, countless cherished memories and a family forever shaped by the love, humor, wisdom and steadiness she gave them. Those who loved Kathy will remember her is so many places. In a song by Lionel Richie or The Temptations on a walk along the beach, around a holiday table, in the view across the lake, and especially in those moments when everyone knows exactly what Kathy would have had to say.

Above all, they will remember how deeply she loved them.

She will be dearly missed by all who know her.

Services: A Celebration of Kathleen's Life will be held at Mike Duffy's, 1024 Schnucks Woodsmill Plaza, Chesterfield, MO 63017 on Sunday, October 11, 2026 from 2-4 p.m. Interment Sunset Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Kathy's honor to the American Lung Association .

As a service of the SCHRADER Funeral Home and Crematory, friends may sign the family's on-line guestbook at Schrader.com.