Catherine Elizabeth McClear Balhoff

BALHOFF, Catherine Elizabeth McClear (Kaye) (Mrs. John T.)A native of Royal Oak, Michigan, and a resident of Baton Rouge since 1951, died Wednesday, January 7, 2015. She was 92, born April 18, 1922, the eighth of twelve children. She was a graduate of Nazareth College in Kalamazoo, Michigan and was employed by Dow Chemical in Midland, Michigan when she met John T. (Jack) Balhoff, whom she married on September 29, 1945.  Four sons were born in Michigan while Jack completed his degree from University of Detroit.  The family lived in Brighton, Michigan before moving to Dearborn, and then to Baton Rouge in 1951 where five more sons and two daughters were born.  Her thirty-eight grandchildren and thirty great-grandchildren ensured that the Balhoff name has become a familiar one in south Louisiana. Strong Catholics, they loved the community of Baton Rouge, where faith was important.  Kaye and Jack were among the founding families of St. Aloysius Church in the mid-1950s. They provided a Catholic education for all of eleven children.Kaye raised her children with a love of life and humor.  There was always room at the table for her family, but also for friends and relatives.  Nearly every year, she welcomed nieces and nephews into her home along with her own children, including young students from Guatemala and Germany.  Kaye was a wonderful cook with the ability to feed an army with little notice and was famous for her chocolate chip oatmeal raisin cookies.  She loved crossword puzzles and worked at least two every day until shortly before her death.  She prayed the rosary every evening and drove herself to daily mass. She is survived by her nine sons, two daughters, 38 grandchildren, and 30 great-grandchildren. The mother and mother-in-law of Michael and Frances Nugent Balhoff of Marriottsville, MD; Thomas and Kathleen Plaisance Balhoff of Baton Rouge; John F. and Judy Kmiecik Balhoff of Austin, TX; Robert and Helen Robison Balhoff of Houston, TX; Donald and Beverly Guidry Balhoff of Baton Rouge; William and Sandra Guidry Balhoff of Baton Rouge; Richard and Andrea Guidry Balhoff of Katy, TX; George and Sharon Durham Balhoff of Baton Rouge; Margaret Balhoff of Louisville, CO; Merwin and Kathleen Balhoff Brandon of Littleton, CO; and Daniel and Kathleen Brady Balhoff of Baton Rouge. Kaye was the grandmother of Andrew, Natalie and Kevin Balhoff; John T. (and Amanda Lea) Balhoff II; Donald (and Kristin Bencze) Balhoff; Kimen Balhoff Moody; David (and Leah Blaize) Balhoff; Erica Balhoff (and Brad) David; Matthew Balhoff, Mary Beth Balhoff and Laura Balhoff (and Greg) Englert; Patrice Balhoff (and Jason) Childress; Michael (and Lainey Vallee) Balhoff and Rebecca Balhoff (and John) Cappello; Elizabeth Balhoff (and Bryan) Lindsay; James (and Kristen Monroe) Balhoff; Kristen Balhoff (and Tanner) Magee; Barbara Balhoff ( and Seth) Bagwell; Bridget Balhoff (and Beau) Leitner; Stephanie Balhoff (and Jeff) Ferguson; and Gretchen Balhoff; Elise, Mark, Gregory, Stephen and Christopher Balhoff of Katy, TX; Brian (and Megan Bello) Balhoff; Brent, Megan and Timothy Balhoff; Lindsay, Ellie, Betsy and Merwin "Mac" Brandon IV of Littleton, CO; and Catherine, Joseph, Caroline and Paul Balhoff of Baton Rouge.  She is also survived by one sister, Leonilla McClear Hones of Rochester, NY, and a brother, Charles Robert McClear, of Avon Lake, Ohio and sister in law, Maureen Balhoff (and husband Robert) Taylor of Phoenix, AZ. She was preceded in death by her husband, John Thomas Balhoff, and her parents, Leo Herbert McClear and Agnes Robb McClear of Brighton, MI; and nine siblings including sisters, Angela McClear Landry, Margaret McClear, and Patricia McClear Beamish. Pallbearers will be grandsons. Visiting is at Rabenhorst Funeral Home, 825 Government St. from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday.  Visiting at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, 2025 Stuart Ave., from 9:00 a.m. until Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m. Sat., celebrated by the Rev. Miles Walsh and Rev Paul Yi. Burial in Roselawn Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to a scholarship fund in the name of Mr.&Mrs. John T. Balhoff through St. Aloysius Catholic School, 2025 Stuart Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70808, or to St. Vincent de Paul's Bishop Ott Shelter, P.O. Box 127, Baton Rouge, LA 70821.