Kata Lenore Rafferty

Kata was born to Wendell and Marian Francis in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She was three years old when her family moved to Sherman, Texas, and she always said she "got to Texas as fast as she could." Kata had one older sister, Kim, and she followed in her sister's shoes in many ways, including dancing on the Sherman High School drill team, going to Baylor University, and even pursuing accounting, although perhaps that was the influence of their father, a banker himself. Kata graduated from Baylor in 1978 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in an impressive 2.5 years, which paved the way for the rest of her future to start shortly after.

Kata met Tim, her future husband, through mutual friends and they married 8 months later in August of 1979. She and Tim lived in Houston for 20 years, where she began her career at Texas Instruments. After her son Joseph was born, she started her favorite job by far: being a mother to him and two daughters who followed, Sarah and Melissa. She taught music at their schools, ran them to practices, led PTOs, worked in concession stands, made costumes and backdrops, and got involved at every opportunity. When asked once why she had children, she answered simply, "to love them," and love them she did. Eventually four beautiful grandchildren came along, and her love expanded exponentially. Kata was a present, caring, joyful, and kind mother and grandmother who embodied the definition of unconditional love.

Never one to be idle, she returned to full-time work as the Fine Arts Secretary at Temple ISD and thoroughly enjoyed being close to her daughters while they were in high school and the friendships she formed with the Fine Arts staff. She then worked at the Baylor Scott and White Health Plan for 11 years where she excelled at various positions before her retirement in 2022.

Kata had a life-long love for music, especially choral music, and could be found singing or playing handbells in a choir almost every Sunday from a young age. She was a talented pianist and accompanied countless vocalists and choirs in her life, starting with her own high school choir. She had a beautiful voice, too, and was constantly singing a hymn or tune. She loved teaching music to children, first with her own kids at home and their schools, then later by directing the children's choir at Immanuel Baptist Church in Temple.

Kata had an adventurous and brave spirit and loved to travel. She took pride and enjoyment in planning adventurous family vacations, always making sure to plan a hike to a waterfall. These vacations often were to the mountains, and her and Tim’s personal favorite was the Olympic peninsula in Washington. When not to the mountains, she and Tim sought out fall foliage, gardens, and wildflowers in Texas and across the country.

In March 2024, just six months after her husband passed from glioblastoma, Kata was diagnosed with stage III pancreatic cancer. Kata didn’t let this diagnosis stop her and she continued to throw themed birthday parties, attend cheerleading events, track meets, softball, baseball and soccer games, maintaining a busy life. She even planned vacations, including a trip to Olympic with the entire family to honor and remember Tim. She was determined to continue to be present and make memories, and her focus never faltered from her family and her faith.

Kata was preceded in death by her mother, father, and husband, Tim. She is survived by a son, Joseph Rafferty (Abby); daughters, Sarah McLaughlin (Mack) and Melissa Van Scoy (Ben); and four grandchildren, Izzy and Declan Rafferty and Lenna and Mattis McLaughlin. She is also survived by her sister, Kim McKinney, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network using this link: https://pancan.org/?form=FUNGMWGYGJJ and check the “Dedicate this donation” box to donate in honor of Kata. Use the email [email protected] if you would like to notify the family.