Oklahoma natives Marle and Kathleen Abshere were married in 1941 with just one week's notice before Marle went to work for Capitol Steel & Iron Co. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Marle served two years in the South Pacific with the U.S. Navy.
After returning home and beginning their family, the couple moved to New Mexico where Marle worked as an accountant and Kathleen as a teacher and counselor. After 15 years away, they returned to Oklahoma City and Capitol Steel in 1964, and in 1982, Marle retired after 28 years of service to the company.
Both Marle and Kathleen loved their community and dedicated their time to their church, Kiwanis, Chamber of Commerce, book clubs, the Oklahoma City Art Museum, Lyric Theatre and numerous other civic and social organizations. In 1979, they began financially supporting causes they cared about by contributing to the Fund for Oklahoma City, World Neighbors and many other charitable organization endowment funds at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.
Kathleen died in 2002 and Marle in 2011, but their charitable legacy continues through the Marle and Kathleen Abshere Fund.