Katherine Wade

We are heartbroken to announce that Kitty Wade, age 81, of Nokesville, Virginia, passed away unexpectedly on December 29th, 2021, at UVA Prince William Medical Center. She leaves behind her husband Michael; her two children, Jon and Tracy; their spouses, Ann and Mac; and her grandchildren, Corey, Olivia, and Katherine. In October 2021, two step-grandchildren (Mac’s sons, Nicholas and Felipe from Bogotá, Colombia) moved to Manassas and became the most recent additions to Kitty’s ever-expanding brood. Kitty also leaves behind her beloved former exchange students: Etienne, Anni, Lee, Inga, and Kayoko. Preceding her in death are her mother and father, Katherine and Fairfax Davis, as well as her Uncle George and Aunt Doris; Uncle Dick and Aunt Dorothy; Uncle Stapie and Aunt Ellen; her Uncle Clint; and a number of dear friends, including Jeri Stiles, Anne Jasper, and Pat Sowers.

Kitty was born on June 24,1940, in Richmond, Virginia and grew up at Greenlands (family farm), the only child of Katherine and Fairfax (Fax) Davis. Kitty was a Girl Scout and eventually became a troop leader and counselor at Camp Pocahontas. She loved home economics, playing piano, and playing bridge, which she continued to enjoy throughout her life. She also enjoyed swimming and worked as a swim instructor and lifeguard. As life went on, Kitty became a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, a sorority for retired women educators and, from 1990 on, she was active in the Zeta Psi chapter of Beta Sigma Phi, a women’s social and service sorority.

Kitty graduated from Henry Clay High School in 1957 and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in math at Mary Washington College (1961) and a Master’s in Education at George Mason University (1982). After college, Kitty moved to northern Virginia and began her teaching career at the high school on Quantico Marine Base followed by a job at George Mason High School in Falls Church.

Kitty became a mom in 1968 with the arrival of son Jon, followed by her daughter Tracy in 1970. She stopped teaching to be a stay-at-home mom until 1974, when she returned to the classroom at Brentsville District High School in Nokesville. At Brentsville, she coached multiple sports, ran the Miss BDHS pageant, sponsored the middle school SCA, and performed in several iconic lip sync acts at the Follies. Kitty taught at Brentsville from 1974-1995 and was well-loved by students and staff alike; her legacy there and in the surrounding Nokesville community continues even today.

One of the most important events of Kitty’s life was finding the love of her life, Michael, in the mid 1970’s. The two married in a beautiful ceremony at Greenlands on January 25, 1976 and began their 46-year love story after a honeymoon to New Orleans. Both educators, Kitty and Michael took advantage of their summers off to enjoy adventures like camping, canoeing, gardening, family outings, and home projects.

In 1995, at age 55, Kitty retired from teaching and began an exciting new chapter in life–traveling around the world with Michael, beginning with a 5-month retirement trip. For almost 20 years, Kitty and Michael lived off their bucket lists, traveling by clipper ship, canal boat, freighter, hydrofoil, rickshaw, motorhome, toboggan, camel, and on foot to explore all the world had to offer: castles, remote villages, Christmas markets, fish ladders, cathedrals, beer halls, lavender fields, street cafés, thermal baths, pyramids, and so much more. Kitty and Michael had an insatiable wanderlust; their trips were the times when life was best–when the pressures of everyday life could be left behind, and they could live out their love story in real time. The ease with which they cultivated new friendships and nourished existing ones as they made their way around the world was another legacy Kitty leaves behind.

It is difficult to summarize a life as full as Kitty’s, but there are a handful of things that those who knew her best would agree on. She was a crazy cat lady. Mosby, Romeo, Gracy, Shadow, Bright Eyes, Mittens, Penny, Jess, Joker, Chester, Lady Jane, J.C.—these are just some cats who were lucky enough to have her as a mama. She loved gardening. There weren’t many things that could top a homegrown tomato and cheese sandwich. She was a talker. Somehow, Kitty knew just what to say to make someone feel better, and her laugh was infectious. She was an eternal optimist. No matter how horrible the day before might have been, she never allowed herself to be defeated. She would do anything for her family. In recent years, she had become Michael’s primary caregiver. She adored him and served him unfailingly for 46 years. She was generous with her love, her time, and her talents. She taught us many things, but most of all, she taught us how to live. Her legacy will live on in all who knew her.

Kitty will be honored with a celebration of life at Nelsen Funeral Home in Ashland, Virginia on Saturday, January 15, 2022, at 412 S. Washington Highway, Ashland, Virginia 23005. Family will receive friends between the hours of 2:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M. at the funeral home. The family and funeral home request that guests wear masks. In the event that a guest doesn’t have a mask, one will be provided by the funeral home staff.