Katherine Aquina Firth

Kay was born on March 15, 1941, in St. Paul, Minnesota, to parents Hazel (née Severson) and Archibald “Archie” Perrizo. Their family (Archie, Hazel, her older sister Sue, and Kay) then moved to Clontarf, Minnesota where her father Archie purchased and ran a Ford/Lincoln/Mercury dealership, Perrizo Motor Sales. Kay grew up knowing about cars, so it is no wonder that her first major purchase as an adult was a 1962 yellow Triumph TR3 two-seater convertible. Locals often spotted the TR3 racing down the country roads with Kay behind its wheel.

When Kay was nine years old, her family moved to Benson, Minnesota. Soon afterwards, her father died unexpectedly. Kay spent the rest of her childhood in Benson, where she became the majorette in her school bands, performed clarinet solos, and was crowned Kid Day Queen in 1954, which entailed many honorary travels throughout Minnesota. Kay graduated from Benson High School in 1959.

Kay attended St. Catherine University in St. Paul for her first year of college and then transferred to the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (the U) where she graduated with a B.A. in Education and Art History in 1964. Her beloved cousin, Robert Perrizo, also attended the U at the same time and became Kay’s protector and social coordinator.

After college, Kay pursued her teaching career, with her first job at Highcroft Country Day School in Wayzata, Minnesota. During her summers off, she traveled all over the world, including France, Germany, Norway, Mexico, Venezuela, Haiti, and Hawaii with dear friends. During this time she met and married Thomas “Tom” Firth, the love of her life. Kay and Tom were opposites in the most complementary way; Tom was a writer and thinker, and Kay was a talker and doer. Young and in love, they moved to New York City, where Kay taught at a school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan while Tom attended graduate school. Kay and Tom then moved to Washington, D.C., where they had their first child, Charlie. In 1969, they returned to Minnesota with baby Charlie in tow and settled into their new home near Cedar Lake in Minneapolis. Five years later, the young couple had their second child, Cassie.

Kay and Tom raised Charlie and Cassie in their charming cottage, which they eventually remodeled into a “soft contemporary” home, as Kay liked to say. It was an idyllic family home in a storybook setting: a quaint, beautiful neighborhood where Kay and her family spent their days walking and playing in the nearby woods, cross-country skiing on and near Cedar Lake in the winter, and swimming at the neighborhood beach with good friends and neighbors.

Kay, invariably warm, positive, and spontaneous, had an energetic and curious nature, and loved being around people. She was devoted to her children, their spouses, and her grandchildren, and was always their fierce champion and defender. Her grandchildren particularly appreciated her quick wit, silly retorts, and support at innumerable events and performances.

Kay’s love and laughter could fill an entire house and her genuine and infectious smile became one of her signatures. When Kay entered the room, so did her electricity. She had unwavering loyalty to her many friends and nurtured these special relationships throughout her entire life. It was this magnetic vitality and strength that would guide Kay through difficult times.

In 1988, her husband Tom unexpectantly died. Heartbroken but resilient, Kay’s inherent confidence and independence empowered her to raise Charlie and Cassie on her own. Her commitment to her family was unconditional and unyielding. In 2000, she was diagnosed with cancer and, this time, had to focus on herself. Of course, she did not flinch, declaring it an “exciting challenge!” Utilizing both conventional and alternative treatments, Kay’s relentless optimism drove the cancer into remission. Kay’s approach to life became a family motto, “We will get through this.”

Travel was important to Kay. Not surprisingly, she eventually became a flight attendant for Sun Country Airlines. Being paid to socialize and travel, Kay flourished! Notably, she journeyed to Europe, South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia. She also delighted in family trips to cabins in Hayward, Wisconsin and Minnesota’s north shore, once – and only once – in a pop-up tent camper. Later in life, Kay found a second love, John Guhl, with whom she enjoyed many adventures, including trips to Croatia, Iceland, and India.

Kay adored animals and pets, particularly her dogs and grand-dogs, including Pat, Bela, Willie, Scooter, Diana, Bopha, Romeo, Arlo, Ned, Bruno, and the occasional stray. Inspired by her childhood experiences riding her horse, Ginger, on her aunt’s and uncle’s farm in Soldier, Iowa, she rode horses throughout her adult life whenever the opportunities arose.

Kay is remembered and loved by her two children, Charles “Charlie” (Lisa) Firth, and Catherine “Cassie” (Towle) Neu, and four grandchildren, Calvin Firth, Rowan Firth, Lucas Neu and Katherine “Katie” Neu. She was preceded in death by her parents, Hazel and Archie Perrizo, husband Tom Firth, sister Suzanne “Sue” Perrizo Hoigaard, and partner John Guhl.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date this summer.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made in Kay's name to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research: https://tribute.michaeljfox.org/tribute-page.php?id=3507&np=true