Obituary of Kaytie A. O'Hara

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF KAYTIE O’HARA

Kaytie Anne O’Hara, an accomplished singer and actress of New York City and Lansdale, Pa., died on December 23, 2019, in Philadelphia, after a five-year battle with osteosarcoma and leukemia. She was 42.

Kaytie was known for a silky soprano voice, limitless empathy, deep spirituality, a quick wit, and infectious laugh. She discovered a passion for musical theater as a teenager and performed vocal solos and leading stage roles over four years at Upper Dublin High School, where she graduated in 1995. While earning a B.A. in family studies and vocal performance at Penn State, Kaytie landed numerous roles in the university’s Musical Theater and Opera Company. She undertook graduate studies at the University of Maryland before following her dream to live in San Francisco, where she became a student of voice and acting at the American Conservatory Theater. 

Kaytie went on to perform in more than 20 stage and musical theater productions across the U.S., as well as to produce and manage several shows. She sang solos at Lincoln Center and at the Global Peace Conference in Indonesia for Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and sang with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall. 

Among the “special skills” noted on Kaytie’s resume: “great with animals, excellent with children, positive attitude.” Indeed, she was adored by children and turned her illness into an opportunity to speak to young people about bullying and to advocate for mental health care for cancer patients. Her remarkably optimistic outlook inspired family, friends, colleagues and caregivers alike.

While fighting her illness, Kaytie continued to share her gift with the world. In 2016, she sang the National Anthem for the Penn State basketball team. She performed one of her favorite songs, “What a Wonderful World,” in a solo at Philadelphia’s Merriam Theater in 2016 and again the following year at the Concert for America at Town Hall, NYC. In 2017, she sang the national anthem for 70,000 fellow Philadelphia Eagles fans at Lincoln Financial Field. In 2018, she was featured in a profile in Real Woman Magazine. To her extended family, one of Kaytie’s most memorable performances will be as a spirited Santa’s elf, in costume with a bag of funny gifts, at the annual family Christmas Eve gathering. 

Born on July 18, 1977, in Chestnut Hill, Pa., Kaytie was the first of three children to David Allen and Nancy (Burke) O’Hara. She was the beloved sister of Colleen O’Hara and Tim O’Hara. She is also survived by stepfather Bob Pearce, stepsister Stephanie Pearce, sister-in-law Kristen (Clymer) O’Hara, 9 aunts and uncles and many first cousins. Her niece, Charlotte Grace O’Hara, was born four days before Kaytie’s passing, in time for Kaytie to choose her middle name. 

Friends and family are invited to a celebration of Kaytie O’Hara’s life on Monday, February 24, 2020, at Sandy Run Country Club, 200 East Valley Green Road, Oreland, Pa. A visitation from 9:00 – 11:30 am will be followed by a memorial service from 11:30 – 12:30. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Kaytie’s name to her favorite charities: Dawn’s Place, the Actor’s Fund NYC, and the National Parks Service.