Kayla Cheyenne Guthrie was born on June 17, 1995, in Tifton, Georgia, to Phillip Askew Guthrie II and Sally Conlan. She was raised in Springfield, Missouri, by her Momma and Dad – Sally and Michael Cate – alongside her sister, Ansley Cate. Her life was surrounded by love, dogs, anime, and everything a gamer girl could want: countless games, high-speed internet, and plenty of snacks. She graduated from Kickapoo High School in 2013.

Kayla lived by the motto, “I work to live, not live to work!” She was attending OTC and had a passion for learning, especially her favorite subject: mythology. She was beautiful, hilarious, fiercely loyal, and fiercely protective. She expressed her creativity through drawing and painting, and she always returned to her love of gaming. Above all, she had a deep and tender love for animals.

She enjoyed long walks and visited the gym often. Her Momma would marvel at how amazing she looked and ask how she did it. Kayla once replied, “You know, Momma… I do all that sh*t you don’t like – like eating salad and going to the gym. We can’t all look like you by loving wine and bacon grease in our recipes.”

Kayla’s family is immeasurably proud of her strength and the fierce way she fought through all of her battles. They honor and support her right to make her own choices. Their beloved Kay-boo will always be cherished.

Kayla is survived by her sister, Ansley Cate; her niece, Paisley Rayne; her Momma, Sally Cate; her Dad, Michael Cate; her father, Phillip A. Guthrie II; her uncles Tony Conlan, Alex Conlan, and Joco Conlan; her aunts Stacey Rushing, Michelle Davis, and Julie Kaufman; her grandparents Dan and Charlene Conlan; and many cousins.

She is preceded in death by her great-grandmother, Bobbie Jean Loveless Kline, and her grandfather, Phillip Askew Guthrie.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Southwest Missouri Humane Society. Kay-boo was always an animal lover, and her pets were rescues.