Kye Kilpatrick Fox

Millicent "Kye" Kilpatrick Fox, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and one of San Antonio's most enduring civic voices, passed away on June 13, 2026. She was 74. Her passing has left a mark on the people, institutions, and communities she poured herself into for more than five decades.

Born on December 28, 1951, at Nix Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, Kye was the daughter of Charles O. and Margie Kilpatrick. She grew up alongside her brothers, Kent and Mark, and was a 1970 graduate of Alamo Heights High School.

Even as a young woman, Kye possessed an instinct for living that went beyond convention. She enrolled at the Centro de Enseñanza para Extranjeros at the National Autonomous University of México, spending several years in Mexico City. Her time there was not merely studying the language, but inhabiting it, becoming fully fluent in Spanish and immersing herself in Mexican culture in a way that would define her relationship with the world for the rest of her life. She later studied French alongside her mother, Margie, at the Institut de Français in Villefranche-sur-Mer, near Nice, France. In later years, she continued her education at the University of the Incarnate Word.

Returning to San Antonio in 1973, Kye built a distinguished career in the fashion industry that reflected her discerning eye and her appreciation for quality and craftsmanship. Long before the word existed in its modern sense, Kye was an influencer. She possessed a sense of style that was unmistakably her own, classic and elegant. Rather than chasing trends, she was drawn to what was timeless and authentic. More importantly, people were inspired. After completing a buyer's program at Joske's, she joined the celebrated Frost Bros department stores, where she served as a buyer overseeing designer clothing brands. Her years at Frost Bros remained among her favorite professional memories, combining her love of fashion, travel, and the pursuit of excellence.

She later brought her talents to USAA, where she served in community relations. Kye understood that meaningful leadership begins with relationships, and she had a gift for connecting people, organizations, and ideas in ways that created lasting impact. The same qualities that made her successful professionally would later define her extraordinary civic and philanthropic work throughout San Antonio.

A graduate of Leadership San Antonio Class 16 (1990–91), Kye devoted herself to the civic life of her city with extraordinary energy. The city gave her so much opportunity and, in return, she felt she owed so much to give back to the community. In doing so, she followed in the footsteps of her father, Charles O. Kilpatrick, the longtime editor and publisher of the San Antonio Express-News, who had preceded her in active service in the community. Kye served many charitable and civic organizations, among them was the San Antonio Public Library Foundation. Kye served the Library Foundation for more than three decades, including two separate two-year terms as board chair, and left behind a legacy of raising awareness and securing financial support, both capital and operational, that strengthened San Antonio's public libraries for generations of readers to come.

Her commitment to literacy was deeply personal. The daughter of a man who devoted his life to the power of the printed word, Kye understood that relationship with language from an unexpected angle as well. Diagnosed with dyslexia in her young adult life, she knew from the inside what it meant to struggle with the written word. That understanding made her advocacy for education and literacy all the more fierce – and meaningful.

Kye was also a founder and past national chair of the Women's Leadership Council of the United Way (now Women United), an initiative she helped build to mobilize women in support of children and families across their community. While chair she championed the “Calling for 2-1-1 Act” through Congress, which serves as a simple way for everyone to connect with local health and human services. She was a lifelong, passionate advocate for women's empowerment, and was widely admired as a skilled and generous fundraiser for causes centered on health, education, and the welfare of women and children.

Her passions in literacy and fellowship carried over into her personal life. More than 30 years ago, Kye co-founded a book club that became something far greater than a gathering of readers. Many of its eight original members remain together to this day.

Yet for all of her civic accomplishments, the roles Kye cherished most were far more personal. Her family was the center of her world, and her friendships were among life's greatest treasures. She was the keeper of family traditions, the one who gathered people around the table, remembered birthdays and milestones, and made every celebration feel special. She had a remarkable gift for making people feel like family, whether they had known her for decades or had only recently crossed her path. Her loyalty was steadfast, her generosity boundless, and her capacity for friendship extraordinary. To be loved by Kye was to know that you would always have someone in your corner.

Travel, for Kye, was not recreation; it was a way of living fully with her family and friends. She had little interest in checking destinations off a list. What compelled her was something harder to name. It was the meal shared at a local café, the linen shop glimpsed through a doorway and followed on instinct, or the unremarkable street corner in an unfamiliar city that somehow felt like discovery. She didn't visit places. She became, for a time, a local in them. It was always about living the culture, not just reading about it.

When Kye made a promise, she meant it. That quality, both rare and quietly radical, ran through everything she did with every board she served, every cause she championed, and every friendship she kept. San Antonio is a better city for her decades of presence in it. For those who knew her best she will be remembered for something even greater: the way she showed up when needed, for her family, for her friends, for anyone who needed encouragement, wisdom, laughter, or simply a place at her table. The people fortunate enough to have known her carry something of her with them still.

Kye's involvement in the San Antonio community was extensive and far-reaching. Among the many organizations fortunate to benefit from her leadership were the After-School All-Stars! program; St. Luke's Episcopal Church & School, where she served multiple terms as a Vestry member, School trustee, and Diocesan Annual Council Member; St. Peter’s – St. Joseph’s Children’s Home, as a governing body member; The Winston School San Antonio as a trustee; The Military-Civilian Club leadership board; The Revelers Club where she served as the local chapter of the International Women’s Forum; and many more.

She was also the visionary behind two signature fundraising events that continue to leave a lasting impact: Power of the Purse for United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County, and the Catrina Ball for the San Antonio Public Library Foundation. Through her leadership and tireless commitment, these initiatives raised critical support for causes she cared deeply about while bringing people together in service of the community.

She is survived by her husband of 36 years, Lou Fox, former city manager of San Antonio; son, Matthew Koehler, and his wife, Elisabeth; grandchildren, Isabel, Hanson and Harrison Koehler; daughter, Sarah Fox; brothers, Kent Kilpatrick and Mark Kilpatrick and his wife, Sharon; three nieces; four nephews and numerous godchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Margie Kilpatrick, and her sister-in-law, Lucia Molina Kilpatrick.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, June 29, 2026, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 11 St. Luke's Lane, San Antonio, Texas 78209.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to be made in Kye’s memory to The San Antonio Public Library Foundation (SAPLF) – “Born to Read” initiative, 625 Shook Avenue San Antonio, Texas 78212 (210-225-4728) or United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County – Women United – “Power of the Purse” initiative, 700 S. Alamo St. San Antonio, Texas 78205 (210-352-7000).