Kathleen Hovey

(Her life of love and grace as best remembered

by a grieving and distraught husband)

The Alpha

Arrival in Moline, Illinois September 25, 1942

There was no delivery by storks. Rather the birds in question were gulls and pelicans found along Kathi’s beloved Mississippi River, which was just down the hillside from her birth in Moline Public Hospital.

The Family

Father: Nicholas Gartelos

A man of great style and a restaurateur par excellence.

Mother: Elefteria

Her name in Greek means “Freedom.” But that is another story.

Brother: Peter (Carol)

A man of extraordinary talents who too soon fell asleep in the Lord.

Sister: Mary (Ron)

A loving voice who daily visits cheered her beloved sissy.

Brother John (Janice)

A part-time local United Methods Church pastor whose words of praise both inspire and comfort.

The Family, Part Two

(All members filled with respect and love)

Husband: Larry

Still in training, even after fifty-seven years of marriage.

Son: Len Hovey

A man proving to be a strong rock in the chaotic storm of life.

Daughter: Nikki Gray (Stacey)

Forever a cat and hungry person as noted by her first two sentences in life: “Where dat cat,” and “Something to eat.”

Granddaughter Crystal Delph

Her long-time imaginary friend Michel seems also to be the Hovey family’s Guardian Angel. She has my gratitude for naming me “Papa.”

Granddaughter Dakotah Gray

A strong and tireless laborer within the life of an iron worker.

Grandson Charlie Hovey

A teenager rapidly maturing into a strong and considerate man sharing abiding love with his Grandmother.

Education

M.Ed., Texas Tech University, 1991 (Educational Administration)

¬¬M.Ed., Texas Tech University, 1986 (Instructional Technology/Educational Computing)

B.A., Augustana College of Illinois, 1965 (major, Spanish; minor, History and English)

The Ph.D. from the University California, Berkeley was a family enterprise. The degree belonged to Kathi as much as to Larry.

Professional Experience

Kathi taught at several levels: preschool; second, fourth and sixth grades; and at the university level. She worked in a range of classrooms: regular, bilingual, gifted/talented, and computer. After leaving the public schools, Kathi supervised student teachers for several years and taught education classes at Texas Tech University.

Later in her professional career, Kathi turned to school administration. She was an assistant principal in the Lubbock school district and then completed her career as the Lubbock Cooper elementary school principal.

Kathi was one of the very best at being at applying educational theory to real-world settings. She was well respected and valued by colleagues and students alike. Her love of teaching and the education profession is captured by the following.

The Tribute

An ancient ruler decided that he would give highest honor to the one adjudged the greatest of his subjects. One was advanced for his great acquisitions of wealth and property. Another was championed for his knowledge of the law and for his justice in administering the ruler’s edicts. Yet another came for his powers of healing the sick.

Near the end of the day, there came yet another champion leading his candidate, an old woman. Her eyes were dim, but from them shone the bright light of knowledge, understanding, and love.

“Who is this?” the king demanded, “And what can she have done to be worthy of my honor?”

“You have seen and heard all of these others,” was the reply. “This is their teacher.”

Publications

Kathi was co-author on seven computer/technology books, including:

¬¬Willis, Jerry, Hovey, Larry and Hovey, Kathleen,

¬¬Computer Simulations: Learning in an Electronic Age, Garland Press, New ¬¬York, 1987.

Over the years Kathi made almost three dozen presentations at professional meetings, such as:

• “Professional Development Schools—Lessons Learned from Three School Settings, Association of Teacher Education, February 16, 1998, Dallas, Texas.

• “Increasing Student Body Diversity in Teacher Education—Two Proposals,” Association of Teacher Education, February 18, 1997, Washington, D.C.

• "Preparing Preservice and First Year Teachers for the Real World of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills--TAAS," Consortium of State Organizations of Teacher Educators (CSOTE), March 28, 1994, El Paso, Texas.

Awards and Recognition

Along with Larry, Kathi established the Larry and Kathi Hovey Distinguished Clinician Award. (Recognition to the Pre K-12 clinician who exemplifies collaboration with Texas Tech University in support of student teachers, interns, and field-based students. $1000 honorarium.)

Texas Elementary Principal and Supervisors, Education Region 17, Elementary School Principal of the Year, 2000

Texas Tech College of Education Distinguished Alumni Award, 2001

Lubbock Cooper ISD Superintendent’s Distinguished Leadership Award

for 2001

The Church

As much as Kathi loved the education profession, she loved her Church even more. She was one of the founders of Saint Andrew Greek Orthodox Church. In her own words she describes how this happened.

God intended for a Greek Orthodox Church to be established in West Texas. He gathered a diverse group of individuals from around the country, indeed from throughout the world, to found Saint Andrew Greek Orthodox Church.

We all arrived in Lubbock at just the right time to play our part in the founding and growth of Saint Andrew Church. The Hoveys, from Illinois via Berkeley, California; the Karras family from Denver; Paul and Kay Benos, Bostonians; Prudence Kouris and Jerry Vermillion arrive from Ohio; Liz and Eddie Ferrer, New Yorkers by way of Vietnam; Bill Karon another from NYC; Dr. Lathouris and family from Canada; the Katsarakes family appear from Lowell, Massachusetts; and Fathy Messiha and the Bisharas come from Egypt. There are the many families from Greece: Andrew and Tassia Zournas; Jimmy and George Georgopoulos; John Karamanos; the Gotsis and Tzemos families, Pat and Christine Pappas, and on and on. Of course, there was John Kallas, the son of the first Greek Orthodox Christian in the Lubbock area. John, with his Lubbock connections with both the City and numerous contractors, played a major role in the construction of the Church building and with many other aspects of Saint Andrew Church being established and sustained.

Kathi’s impact on Saint Andrew Church spans many decades.

• 1978: An informal group, the Greek American Community of Lubbock, is created with a goal of gaining recognition as an Orthodox parish. Kathi is an active member.

• 1978: She organizes Sunday School for children, which is conducted in the Hovey home.

• 1979: A chapter of the Philoptochos Society (Friends of the Poor) is formed. Kathi is an initial member and remains active as a leader ever since.

• November 5, 1979: The first Parish Council is formed under the guidance of Father Samaras (later His Grace Bishop Kallistos). Kathi is a member and serves on the Council for many years.

• April 1981: Prudence Kouris is the first person chrismated into the Church. Kathi is her sponsor.

• Late 1991: The first religious service, a Typica, is celebrated in a not fully constructed Saint Andrew Church. Parishioners stand on an unfinished concrete floor before an incomplete iconostasis. Kathi recalls the wind whistling loudly through the yet to be adjusted front doors, as if the Holy Spirit was blessing the gathering.

• August 2017: An annual Vacation Bible School is initiated with Kathi and Prudence Kouris are the leaders.

• Kathi as music director, creates a file system of the music required for each service. It takes considerable effort to organize the constantly changing music. She and Liz Ferrer organize music and develop booklets for special services, including compline, Akathist Hymn, baptisms, funerals, Trisagions, and weddings. Kathi also creates a series of music notebooks for Holy Week Services. She is recognized by the National Forum of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians with the Archbishop Iakovos Distinguished Service Award for 29 years of dedicated service “to preserve, perpetuate, and promote the sacred hymnology of our Holy Orthodox Church.”

The Omega

December 10, 2025: Kathi Gartelos Hovey falls asleep in the Lord. It is the closing days of Autumn, her favorite season. Each year Kathi and Larry gather bits and pieces of the season and create a fall basket to be set before the fireplace. This year’s problems, a basket was not possible. Come next year, a traditional fall basket, created in Kathi’s memory, will again abide.

One past autumn, Larry wrote, and Kathi guided, some thoughts about the colors of the season.

Autumn Tones

I have always found comfort in the tones of autumn.

The burnt umber of late September bean fields.

The sienna of dry rows of corn.

The ancient-gray river melting into the blue-gray haze

of tree-lined shores at dusk.

Osage oranges making lime green splotches

against the dead green of last summer’s leaves.

Grains and grasses, gold to purple, awaiting

harvest or winter’s snows.

The reds and yellows of shoreline fires,

holding back the darkness and chill of evening, locating solitary fishermen.

Black silhouettes silent against a worrying sky

hint of great blue herons and mallards seeking nighttime shelter.

Automobile headlights, yellow dots in the distance, pinpoint brothers

of the great blues, moving toward their own nighttime refuge.

I have always found comfort in the tones of autumn,

the sanctuary of home, the joy of family, and the grace of God.

Writing is an essential part of my life. Finding the right words and constructs to express ideas well is personally satisfying. However, almost all of my writings are made better by Kathi’s review and suggestions. Her insight is a fundamental part of my writing.

So we now arrive at the essence of Kathi’s story. Through her never-ending love she makes lives better. For sixty years she has made my life better. Her children and grandchildren have received that love and their lives made better. She has made better the lives of friends, colleagues, students, and even strangers. Through her good will, good ideas, good works, and the Grace of God, Kathi Gartelos Hovey has for years made countless lives better. As her love and memory lingers, she will continue to do so.

May her memory be eternal!

As I complete writing this obituary, I prepare to print it and take it to Kathi for her review and advice. But she is no longer here. I am unbearably sad. LMH