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Carol Macherey sent this message:
I saw in the Memory section that Kathleen's date of death was unknown. Kathleen died the summer after we all graduated - 1965. She died on a plane flight to Europe - I think the UK. It was so sad... so unexpected... I went to her funeral, and am sure about the date. Carol
Carolyn Tribble Witt
Actually, Kathleen attended Rice University with me as a freshman. Christmas of our freshman year together, we were all young and broke. We got a small Christmas tree for our dorm room and she bought me a top ornament as a gift. My husband and I still use it and I remember her fondly each holiday season. She died in Europe the summer after our freshman year.
Carol Macherey
Thank you for clarifying - still a very premature loss.
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Terry Wood
Kathleen was so smart that she was advanced two grades in early elementary school. She joined us in the 4th grade when Arthur Kramer was opened. Because she had skipped two grades, she was smaller that the rest of us and initially had a difficult time being accepted. She lived a block from the school on Eudora Dr. and had a swimming pool in the backyard, so her parents would throw pool parties for her classmates. They served us pizza and we played Marco Polo. That made a difference in her life as many of us got to know and appreciate her better. She was still smaller than the rest of us, but was much bigger intellectually. And she did have that great, dimpled smile.
I, for one, was quite sad when I heard of her early death back in the late 60's. One can only imagine what Kathleen would have contributed to the world had she been able to reach her full potential.
Steve Watson
Funny all the things you remember. I often ride my bike today around the Kramer area to get to the White Rock bike path and when I ride down Eudora, I comment to myself, this was Kathleen's street. She was smart with an infectious smile!
Rudolph "Rob" Houck
Thanks for all this information. I had wondered for years what she was doing in Ireland. I had stopped in Cork on a ship to Amsterdam and had assumed she had also put in there. What a loss. To take nothing away from Kathleen, Ann Campbell was salutatorian. Did we have more than one? I thought Patty was Valadictorian. I recall worrying about not graduating due to the Senior Pub. But Ann was on the staff and had a speaking role. Maybe that played no role in the events.
Jennie Rothschild
Kathleen was a great classmate. She had a quick smile and great sense of humor. I was so shocked to hear of her death and appreciate all the information. How sad to lose her so young and with so much promise.
Dickie Baum
God, was she smart!! I remember it was tough to know who was smarter -- Kit-Kat (Kathleen) or Pit-Pat (Patty). Well, it didn't really matter, because there were plenty of other brainiacs in our class. By the way, Kathleen didn't seem so small to me. Guess everything's relative. Looking forward to seeing lots of "old" friends in a couple of weeks.
Rudolph "Rob" Houck
I see I misspelled cemetery. Thanks for not commenting.
Paula Williams
Kathleen did pass away in 1968. I stayed in touch with her family and for many years I placed the Christmas tree on her grave for her mother who had moved away to Beeville. Kathleen's brother, Bob, behind us a few grades married a second time to a woman who Mrs.Schlotterbeck wanted me to befriend. (Bob is also deceased.) To this day I am in almost weekly contact with Kathleen's twin nephews and their families. Kathleen and I spent hours playing pool and listening to musicals at her house during the Hillcrest years. When she attended Rice, we communicated by letters in French, and as she advanced, I had to humbly request that I return to writing in English. There is still some mystery about her death. Senator Joe McKool tried to learn more on behalf of the family, but there were three conflicting stories. My father was the band director at Franklin. He told me in confidence that at a faculty meeting it was announced that Kathleen had one of the highest IQs in DISD. I was honored that she included me as a friend. paula williams
Paula Williams
Correction: The senator was Mike McKool not Joe.
As to Kathleen's size: A 1967 article about her being named a duchess of the Buccaneer Days in Corpus Christi states that,
"Kathleen (18) is a sophomore girl at Rice University...five feet tall and weighs 93 pounds. The gown she wore at the ceremonies weighed 80 pounds and had a train weighing 100 pounds." (These gowns were more costume than basic pretty dress.)
Patty Bowen (Sullivan)
Not that it matters, but, yes, I was valedictorian and Ann Campbell was salutatorian. I had not realized that Kathleen had skipped two grades. What a tragedy. Patty Bowen Sullivan
Paula Williams
Kathleen's death certificate states age of death at 20. Note the reference to the article about her sophomore year at Rice, age 18.