Anna Katherine Silva

Anna Katherine "Kathy" Silva passed away in Washington, D.C. on October 22, 2024 at the age of 82 after a courageous 22-year battle with leukemia. Despite the challenges of her illness, Kathy lived a life full of love, passion, and dedication to her family, friends, and community. Born in Amersham, England, on October 7, 1942, to Josef and Anna Korbel, Kathy's early life was shaped by historical events. Her father, a Czechoslovak diplomat, had fled the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia with his family at the outset of World War II. In 1948, following the Communist coup in Czechoslovakia, her family sought political asylum in the United States, where they eventually settled in Denver, Colorado.

Kathy Korbel graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder and received her Masters in Educational Administration and credential in Administrative Services at the California State University. She began her approximately forty-year career in education and school reform with a job teaching history and psychology at Northglenn High School near Denver. In the late 1960s, she moved to Los Angeles where she taught and served in the Los Angeles Unified School District’s administration, including as a counselor at Manual Arts High School and assistant principal at James A. Foshay Learning Center in south central Los Angeles. Kathy was passionate about students and their learning. Her friends fondly remember her as being “all about kids.” She worked tirelessly to ensure that all students were treated fairly and with respect, in particular, by uplifting and supporting low-income students. She met her future husband, Gene Silva, during these years in Los Angeles. They were married for approximately 10 years until 1982 and remained friends throughout her life.

In 1993, Kathy moved to Washington, D.C. to serve as an appointee in the U.S. Department of Education in the administration of President Bill Clinton. She directed the Presidential Academic Fitness Award Program and served as Chief of Staff in the Office of Intergovernmental and Interagency Affairs. She contributed significantly to the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, focusing on school readiness, student achievement, and teacher education. Her dedication to equitable education, particularly for low-income communities, shaped her legacy in the field of education. After her time with the Clinton administration, she worked for the University System of Maryland, where she focused on reforming teacher preparation, induction, and retention across the state. She retired from her career in professional education in 2003.

Community service was a cornerstone of Kathy’s life. After moving to McLean Gardens, Washington, D.C. in 1994, she immersed herself in the neighborhood, serving on the Board of Directors for more than fifteen years, including terms as President and Vice President. Kathy believed in the power of community engagement, often sharing her motto: “If you want to make a difference, be part of the process.” She made sure her voice—and those of her neighbors—were heard, whether it was through neighborhood initiatives or serving on city task forces.

Kathy doted on her beloved dogs—Brie, MayB’lene, Yankee Doodle, and Bodhi—and her connection to her furry friends led her to co-found the D.C. dog owners’ group DCDOG. She successfully advocated for the D.C. City Council to pass laws allowing for off-lease dog parks throughout the city, and worked to build a dog park in her own neighborhood. She later helped establish the Newark Street Park K-9 Friends in order to maintain the dog park. The park became a place where she built friendships, advocated for her community, and expressed her deep love for animals.

Kathy was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in 2002. Kathy was an active patient volunteer in a National Institute of Health (NIH) study to understand the underlying cause of CLL and to advance its treatment. In addition to routine blood studies, Kathy generously donated blood samples for research and participated in vaccination studies to better understand CLL patients’ immune response. She volunteered in these studies until her death. Kathy will be missed by her NIH team.

Kathy and her older sister Madeleine K. Albright, the first woman to serve as U.S. Secretary of State, shared a deeply close friendship and special bond. They traveled the world together, and also found joy in simple moments spent at home. Kathy was devoted to her younger brother John Joseph Korbel and his wife, Pamela, as well as her nieces and nephews—Anne, Alice, Katie, Josef, and Peter—and their children, who cherished the love, humor, and guidance she gave them throughout their lives. Every day, Kathy was committed to honoring her family’s legacy. She played a pivotal role in renaming the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies after her father. She cherished the time she spent learning about her Jewish ancestry, which she discovered late in her adult life, and took several trips to the Czech Republic with her family to explore their roots. Kathy’s involvement in organizing Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection reflected her own creativity and her devotion to her sister.

Kathy’s adventurous spirit, kindness, and passion for life touched everyone who knew her. She will be remembered for her wonderful smile, sense of humor, and never-ending willingness to jump in and help a friend, whenever and wherever needed. She was fiercely independent and known for her quick wit and storytelling, love of writing rhymes and funny songs, talent for knitting, prolific drawing and painting, and enthusiasm for new experiences. She filled her days with laughter, friendship, and compassion for others.

Kathy was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Madeleine K. Albright, her brother John Joseph Korbel, his wife Pamela Korbel, and many family members who perished during the Holocaust and whom she and her siblings honored in 2015 with a commemorative plaque at Terezín, Czech Republic. She is survived by her nieces Anne K. Albright (Geoffrey Watson), Alice P. Albright (Gregory Bowes), Katie Albright (Jake Schatz), and nephews Josef H. Korbel (Magdalena) and Peter A. Korbel (Kristina). She is also survived by many grandnephews and grandnieces, and her many friends who were like family to her. Kathy will be especially missed by her beloved dog Bodhi.

The family kindly asks that no flowers are sent. A celebration of Kathy’s life will be held at a later date.