Kathryn Kathi Lynne Vogan

Kathi passed away comfortably at home, in Kettleby, free from pain, following six months in her fight with cancer. Kathi was in her 69th year. Her loving husband, Gary, was with her at the end. A very special thanks to Dr. Javanmard, Kathi’s Palliative care Doctor and Mike Kropman, Kathi’s Nurse, throughout the final month of home care. Also a special thanks to the Newmarket CCAC team who were so responsive to Kathi’s special needs through the palliative phase of her care.

Daughter of Len Tye (Ridgetown, Ontario) and Ila Jacobson (Gaspe, Que.), Kathi grew up in the town of Simcoe where she maintained close relationships with friends and classmates. Kathi continued to attend high school reunions every year as well as the fall Norfolk County fair. Her classmates will remember her love of singing and being in the school choir that ventured to New York City for a memorable field trip.. The high school presented several school musicals with Kathi in a featured role. Loving aunt of Jaime Green, Matthew (and Kirsten) Slack, Lori (and Mike) Theriault, Joy (and Malcolm) Pryor, Jeff and Tim Stewart and Richard Tye. Kathi always enjoyed the annual Christmas and family gatherings every year. Kathi leaves behind her sisters and brothers in law Betsy (Tye) and Dan Stewart, Vicki (Tye) and John Slack and her brother Charlie Tye and Gloria as well as Sandy Mackey, Don Mackey and Rob Vogan. Vicki Slack is Kathi’s younger sister and became her strength and support over the past 6 months, ably assisted by her husband John Slack. Kathi and Vicki have been close all of their lives and it was a joy to watch them together and know they were on the phone almost every day over the last 20 years sharing their likes and little discoveries. Sandy Mackey (Vogan) was also close to Kathi and shared the family ups and downs throughout the 46 years they knew each other. Sandy returned to school at Trent University gaining her BA as a mature student in the same year as her daughter Joy. Kathi was so proud. Sandy’s other daughter Lori had completed her own BA at Trent just two years before. Rob Vogan moved to Vancouver in the early 60s but has kept in touch with all the “easterners” by phone and email and spent many hours with Kathi and Gary on his trips east. Kathi was a Great Aunt to Hanna and Brandon Theriault, Julian Pryor and Daniel Stewart. Kathi was a loving cousin to Jackie, Lynn and Jean Sommers during her most formative years before entering the Brantford School of Nursing. Gary also had a deep connection to his high school friends from Agincourt and kept in touch every year through golf games and many dinners with the spouses. Kathi decided to have all of her friends in her wedding party. That also allowed Gary to have two “foursomes” in his party of groomsmen. Kathi and Gary were married in the Anglican Church in Simcoe on June 1, 1968. It was a wet afternoon but it had been sunny in the morning while the groomsmen played a round of golf. The men thought that had been the right priority given the ceremony was being held indoors.

Kathi graduated from the Brantford School of Nursing and was saddened to not be able to attend their 50th reunion held June 6th, 2014. After graduation Kathi went on to be an operating room nurse at London’s Victoria Hospital. It was in London that Kathi and Gary started their lifelong journey, watched carefully by Lori Robbins, her roommate and best friend. Kathi moved back to Brantford General when Lori got married. After their wedding, Kathi and Gary moved to Montreal, where she continued her nursing career at the Montreal General. Following another transfer to Toronto, Kathi helped set up the operating rooms 3 months before the York Finch Hospital opened. Another Air Canada transfer back to Montreal, led to a second term at the Montreal General, the Montreal Vets Hospital and two years in the Emergency room at the Lakeshore General. While at the Lakeshore General, Kathi served one year on the Board of Directors, representing the doctors and nurses interests under a Quebec law that had just been introduced. After one more term at York Finch in Toronto Kathi joined the Humber College staff teaching post grad operating techniques and visiting many of Toronto’s larger Hospitals with her students.

Given his career in management with Air Canada, Kathi and Gary were able to travel extensively in the Air Canada world network and also vacation every year in the warmer climes. Her favourite trips were those accompanied by parents and friends. There were many such trips abroad and within Canada; all documented by Gary in his 25,000+ slide collection.

In 1969 Kathi and Gary were introduced to “Canadiana” pine furniture by David and Cheryl Hancock. Cheryl was to become Kathi’s best friend and soul mate for Cheryl’s remaining years. Having decided early not to have their own children, Kathi and Gary grew very close to the three Hancock children, Sara, Barclay and Shelly and enjoyed all of the Hancock children’s success over the years. The first antique shop visited was Landmark House in Kettleby. Over the next 7 years they were able to assemble a collection of quality pieces that filled their homes moving between Toronto and Montreal. Finally in July 1977 they were able to acquire the source of their collection, the 1973 Methodist Church in Kettleby. Kathi loved the building and soon discovered the benefits of living in a small hamlet. Kathi was always a small town girl at heart where “everybody knows your name”. Kathi was active with the Kettleby Fair for 36 years, the many Kettleby Village Association pot lucks, creating the winter wreaths for annual street decorations and inspiring, Christmas in Kettleby “We Still Believe” in November 2012, to enable 20 artisans to display their works in historic village locations.

In 1984 Kathi was running a weekend antique business in Kettleby and met Bea Grant, a collector of Canadiana and an Adele Bishop stenciling instructor. That meeting would ultimately build a lifelong friendship and lead to their first store located in King City. Piety Ridge Primitives opened in January 1985 featuring Adele Bishop paints and stencils. Kathi took to stenciling quickly and the art form allowed her creativity to shine. Piety Ridge Primitives was taken over by Kathi in the late 80’s and moved to the Old Mill on Main Street Schomberg in the late 1980’s. The rest as they say is history. Piety Ridge Primitives became a destination store because of Kathi’s commitment to finding smaller suppliers and items not generally available in other stores. Her life was all about love, sharing, commitment and creativity. Her long time friend, Sheena Henderson operated the tea and lunch rooms in King City and continues to offer a range of food services at Sheena’s Kitchen in the old Mill on Main Street. Kathi also aided with main street Christmas and was known over the past 12 years as “Kate” with her folk art images she created for the Main Street Christmas poster.

Throughout her life Kathi was known to rescue a variety of animals and drag them home to care for. Kathi loved her cats. She also had a love for horses and decided to take up riding in her 65th year. Kathi had an agenda that she wouldn’t share at the time. After two years of weekly lessons Kathi and Gary returned to Barbados (after a 25 year absence) with two close friends from Kettleby (Andrea Loeppky and Kathy Cartan). It was Kathis last real vacation and Kathi absolutely loved it. While in Barbados, Kathi had a horseback ride on the ocean sand on the Bathsheba coast. After the ride she finally shared that a horseback ride on the beach in Barbados had been #1 on her “bucket list”. Gary accompanied Kathi on the ride and served as the official photographer.

June 1st, 2014 was Kathi and Gary’s 46th anniversary. It was also 46 years after their honeymoon in Hawaii where she fell in love with fresh pineapple. Kathi loved the simple things in life. Kathi will be missed by all who knew her and more so by her friends and loving family!

“A Celebration of Kathi’s Life” will be held June 25th at the Cardinal Golf Course on of Highway 9 (between Jane and Keele on the north side of highway #9). The reception will begin at 6pm with remarks and reflections from 7-8. All friends of Kathi are welcome to attend.

Donations, in lieu of flowers, should be directed to the King Township Food Bank. Charitable receipts are available. Donations can be made on line at www.kingtownshipfoodbank.ca.