Catherine G. Krupnick

Catherine graduated with an MFA from San Francisco Art Institute and an EdD from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She was a pioneer in gender studies and one of the founders of the Harvard-Danforth Center in 1975, now the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. Catherine believed that if teachers could observe themselves on video, they would be more effective with students in the classroom. Catherine was a true original and had an extraordinary range of interests. Her activities included filming shepherds in Afghanistan, studying Indian dance, sailing across the Atlantic in a small sailboat, and helping refugees reestablish their lives in the United States. She was widely admired by friends and family and hundreds of people she never even met for her extraordinary generosity and empathy.

Catherine was the loving mother of Ariel Kraakman and Shiva Kraakman and a dear sister to Louis Krupnick and his wife, Haven Howell, of CO, and Elizabeth Krupnick of CT. She also was the adored aunt of Tobias Perse, Jesse Krupnick, Jacob Krupnick and Ian Krupnick, and the former wife of Reinier Kraakman.

Services will be held at Bigelow Chapel at Mt. Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge on Monday, Nov. 30 at 10 a.m. followed by visitation at Catherine’s late residence in Cambridge.

Her family also will host memorial observances on Dec. 1 and Dec. 2 at the residence from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be sent to DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS USA.