Katherine Knolle Horrigan

Katherine Knolle Horrigan, a resident of Houston for many years, passed away peacefully on the 20th of May 2016, after a lengthy struggle with ALS. She was 72 years old. Both before and during her illness, Kathy often wore a ring on which “courage” was engraved. She personified that word.

Kathy grew up in Sandia, Texas, on a dairy farm. After attending Mathis High School, she graduated from the University of Texas in 1967. From there, she went to work for Fayez Sarofim & Co. in Houston, where she remained for 19 years, serving as Mr. Sarofim’s personal assistant. While there, she obtained a Masters Degree in English Literature at the University of Houston. After she and Joseph S. Horrigan married, she left Fayez Sarofim & Co. and earned a PhD in English Literature from the University of Houston. She then taught English at the University of Houston and Houston Community College. It was during and after this time that she began a writing career, and became a published author of numerous short stories and poems.

In her mid-to-late 40's, Kathy took up serious mountain climbing, as well as rock climbing. Her considerable skill at this sport allowed her to climb some of the tallest, most difficult peaks in the world. She began with several 14,000 ft. mountains in Colorado, during her vacations with Joe and some of her stepchildren, who were awed by her ability. Her training regimens were incredible. Among the mountains she climbed were Mt. Rainier, Mt. Whitney, Mt. Kilimanjaro, a 20,000 ft. peak in the Himalayas, and Mt. Aconcagua, in Argentina.

Probably the word her family and friends used most often to describe Kathy was “amazing”. She was beautiful, brilliant, strong, kind and modest, with a keen sense of humor, a smile that could light up a room and a fabulous laugh. Her grace in coping with her illness was astonishing.

Kathy’s parents, Walton Knolle and Dorothy Beall Knolle, predeceased her. She is survived by - and deeply loved by - her husband, Joe Horrigan, her brother, A.W. Knolle, and his wife Joyce, and her six step-children, Annette Harris Cox (Jim), Adriane Harris Arnold (Gordon), Eugenia Harris, Elizabeth Horrigan Martin (Edouard), Katherine Horrigan Quie (Bill), and Erin Horrigan Savage (Greg). Also left to cherish their memories of Kathy are her nine step-grandchildren, William and Emma Quie, Tristan and Celeste Martin, Lauren and Faye Savage, Eloise and Lyda Arnold and Owen Cox. One other step-grandchild, Tucker Arnold, has passed away. Kathy is also survived by her South Texas family and cousins, including Louise Pettigrove, Carolyn McNeill, Pearson Knolle, Joe Knolle, Janice Lain, Thomas Lain, Virginia Wymore, and Susan Lynch, as well as their spouses and children.

Kathy’s family is deeply grateful to her loving, devoted caregivers, Brenda Duarte, Liliana Claveria, Rina Castillo and Alfa Testa Castillo, as well as to all the professionals at Memorial Hermann Hospice.

A memorial service honoring Kathy will be held at one o’clock in the afternoon on Saturday, the 4th of June 2016, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston, TX, 77057, where Rev. Martus Miley, Pastor of River Oaks Baptist Church is to officiate. Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception in the adjacent grand foyer. Private family interment will be held at Glenwood Cemetery.

For those desiring, memorial contributions in Kathy’s memory may be directed to SIRE, a therapeutic horsemanship program for disabled people, 24161 Spring Drive, Hockley, Texas 77447.