Kathleen M. Walling, 65, of New Britain, CT passed away unexpectedly on July 9, 2018. Born in Newport, RI, she was the daughter of the late Robert M. and Nancy (Murphy) Walling. Kathy is a retired teacher and coach of the West Hartford School System where she taught Physical Education and Health and coached multiple sports programs, including basketball, field hockey and lacrosse. She received numerous awards, including four Hall of Fame Awards: Middletown (R.I.) High School Athletic Hall of Fame, the New Agenda Northeast Hall of Fame, CHSCA Hall of Fame and Connecticut Field Hockey Hall of Fame. She was also Coach of the Year in field hockey and lacrosse. USFHA Futures Olympic Development coach, CIAC Lacrosse umpire, among others.
Kathy loved the sound, smell, and sight of the outdoors. She had a lifelong love of being near the water. She could often be found walking the shoreline of Second Beach or Third Beach, collecting sea glass, walking with Maggie, or paddling in a kayak. While at home, she enjoyed observing birds, flowers, and deer from her deck. She would frequently share photographs of nature with friends and family, sharing the beauty with others and brightening their day.
Kathy was an inspirational coach for hundreds of young women and a pioneer for women’s sports in the state of Connecticut. At Hall High School in West Hartford, she started three sports programs (volleyball, girls’ lacrosse, and girls’ golf). Additionally, she was a head coach for basketball, softball, and field hockey. During her tenure as coach, she led six sports through forty eight seasons. She had 140 lacrosse victories, 127 field hockey victories, and 112 basketball victories. In 1977, during her first year coaching, Kathy led her basketball team to be the Class LL state runners up. In both field hockey and lacrosse, her teams made it to the quarterfinals in state playoffs. As head coach of the women’s field hockey team at Hall High School, her team won the CCC West title. Kathy beamed with pride whenever she spoke about her teams to family and friends
She is survived and will be dearly missed by her life partner, Linda Dirga of New Britain and all of the Dirga family, her sister, Anne Crawford and her husband Larry of Middletown, RI, her brother, Robert Walling of Middletown, RI. Her niece and nephew, Melissa Crawford and Andrew Crawford and his wife, Maia, two great nephews; Elliott and Julian. She is also survived by many aunts, uncles, cousins, and dear friends.
Memorial gifts in Kathy’s name can be made to the Human Rights Campaign, www.hrc.org, 1640 Rhode Island Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20036 or Connecticut Field Hockey Hall of Fame, c/o Babby Nuhn, 31 Benta Lane, Durham, CT, 06422.
A time of visitation will be held Friday, July 13, 2018 from 4-7pm at New Britain Memorial Donald D. Sagarino Funeral Home, 444 Farmington Ave., New Britain, CT. Friends are welcome to attend her funeral liturgy on Saturday, July 14, 2018 at 11:00AM at St. Patrick-St. Anthony Church, 285 Church Str., Hartford, CT. Burial services will be Monday, July 16, 2018 at 11:00am at St. Columba's Catholic Cemetery, Middletown, RI. For directions or online messages, please visit www.newbritainsagarino.com
