Mom had passions: painting, art, nature, cooking, writing, poetry. She lived life with a joy and exuberance that most of us can only watch and admire. Never once, through the hard times with her health, did she express sadness, bitterness or regret. It is this strength, perseverance, fight and unfailing kindness that will be carried by us all. Oh yes, and most of all, her love. From her passing, an even further depth and richness of her life has begun to surface. Many people have come forward to contribute their thoughts and remembrances which are shared here. Elaine reached out to an old acquaintance who wrote this wonderful – and fascinating – story from her just-married days in Boston: "In 1969 Kate was one of three founders of a Boston company called Élan that specialized in helping companies prepare their new recruits just out of school on how to be poised and confident professionals when dealing with clients This was a totally new concept for firms to consider and immediately became very successful, counting as clients major companies such as ATT (formerly New England Telephone), First National Bank of Boston, Jordan Marsh and other major retailers. Combining their business experience, knowledge of fashion, and extensive European travel, the three partners created a consulting firm that helped firms groom upwardly mobile female employees to become more sophisticated in appearance and attitude." As time went on, there was a move to White Plains, NY in 1973, the birth of her two sons, Lucien and Douglas and a new career/passion in painting. Mom’s “studio” in White Plains was the basement of our house. A somewhat dark, scary and certainly monster-filled space. Her courage to go down there all alone was impressive to my young and over-active mind. It was down in the basement, with her paints, canvas and strange medieval looking wooden canvas stretchers, that her creativity could thrive. She made the most beautiful objects come out of that scary space below our house. She would return from these sessions covered in oils from head to arms with a huge smile and an air of peace. Aside from the top of a mountain or the Outer Beach, her studio(s) was where she could be herself – and happy. This artistic creativity resulted in numerous showings at galleries and exhibits in New York and around the country. Notable exhibits include the Acquavella Galleries in NYC in 1979 and Neuberger Museum of Art at SUNY-Purchase and her works can be found in the corporate collections of Pepisco. Although, frankly, there was a period where her work was shown so frequently, it became hard to keep track. Although Mom did. Laura Palmer wrote about her art and sense of style: "Her art was her life. She brought such style and flair to living. Her fine and sophisticated aesthetic sense infused her world, and ours. I remember being with her on the Cape the day she saw her new kitchen counters for the first time. She loved the green granite! The color was exquisite and she had chosen it and it delighted her. She was looking at the gradations of color in the stone and I marveled at the pleasure she took in it and the detail with which she studied it. And those sea shells on the kitchen window sill. So perfect, so Kate. Her taste was so impeccable, but there was nothing showy about it. Like the white flowers she loved, everything was perfect in itself....except she made it more so." Later in life Mom would take this passion for art and turn it into a book, "Master Pieces, the Curator's Game" co- authored with Thomas Hoving and Lori Stein. Master Pieces was the culmination of much hard work, deep research and tenacity. For us, her boys, she had a special book. A tour of her favorite pieces in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This book (quite well used!) is one of her most personal, touching gifts and a meaningful example of her love for us. These books – and her memories – will live on in our families as they are passed down through the years and generations. Mom’s life was never filled unless she was helping others. Even from her illnesses she found ways to help others. For years she worked in the Bellevue Hospital Pediatric Unit caring for HIV-AIDS babies. After her successful battle with breast cancer, she turned to help others in similar situations to give them support in their times of need. Her friend Dr. Jimmy Holland remembers: "Kate was a volunteer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center for over 15 years, providing psychological support to patients at the hospital. She was the Patient Advocate Member, for the past five years, of the National Cancer Centers Network (NCCN) Panel of Management of Distress which promulgated the first clinical practice guidelines for management of distress in cancer patients. Over the same period, she counseled patients by telephone through the American Psychosocial Oncology Society Helpline, a national free telephone service for patients with cancer, providing telephone support to those without an available counseling resource. She eased the course for many by counseling them with her usual kindness and selfless manner." Mom also provided input for articles written by Dr. Holland on "Distress Management" published in the Journal of National Comprehensive Cancer Network (www.nccc.com). While these are only brief snippets, they are examples of her nature: beautiful, loving, kind, good. She was an amazing mother, friend and comrade-in-arms.