Kit's obit

This ran in the independent paper in Colorado Springs. It's not easily readable, so I will type out the text: (NOTE: I've discovered that if you click on the graphic, you can print it out on legal-sized paper -- letter-sized is a bit too small. Now, I have this hanging by my desk.)

Mary Catherine Webster
September 23, 1954-January 13, 2007

Mary Catherine Webster, beloved wife and mother, champion of children, tireless comforter, and articulate opponent of injustice died unexpectedly of a heart attack, on January 13, 2007, in the company of her family. Mary is survived by her husband Phil, the love of her life and her partner in wisdom and wit, and their three children, Emily, a nursing student at U.C.C.S. and Miles and Maddie, IB students at Palmer High School. She is also survived by her mother and stepfather, Nancy and Ferdinand Schindler, of Colorado Springs and her brother, Patrick O'Neill and his family, Tam and Hannah, of Denver. Her father predeceased her.

Mary was born on September 23, 1954, in Winamack, Indiana, to John James and Nancy (nee O'Connor) O'Neill. Her Catholic elementary education led her to Indiana University where she was one of the first to earn a B.A. in Religious Studies. Mary and Phil moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, after marrying in 1978. Mary taught at Franklin and Incarnate Word high schools, with the instinct to assign a task to her laziest student to get it done efficiently. Daughter Emily was born in Texas, and twins Miles and Maddie were born shortly after the family moved to Colorado Springs where Phil joined FedEx.

Mary loved children, dogs, cooking and especially words.

Mary was gifted with exceptional social intelligence, a talent for friendship and an uncanny ability to remember every word she heard. She was a letter writer, an Irish wit and story teller, and a movie buff devoted to the Women's Film Festival. For the last nine years Mary was the Director of Children's Education at Grace and St. Stephens Episcopal Church, a ministry grounded in her unwavering faith and devotion to family. Though still training for ordination as a deacon, Mary served without ceasing; gathering communities of faith around her with creative acts of celebration, the wisdom of her counsel, and unnumbered acts of kindness. She honored landmarks in others' lives with flowers, ice cream coupons, homemade raspberry jam, linen hankies, and always a handwritten note and a listening ear.

All who knew Mary will miss the grace of her company, the animation of her voice, her impeccable style and her halo of white hair. Mary has always lived in the fellowship of saints and is dearly loved though seen no longer. Her family invites you to honor her memory with an act of kindness in her name.