Obituary of Katherine K. Burch

Katherine Mary Kaiser Burch, 81, of West Oak Hill Road, Jamestown, died Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at Buffalo General Hospital, Buffalo, N.Y. She was born on April 7, 1932 in Dunkirk to the late Lawrence and Esther Kaiser. She graduated from Saint Mary's Academy in Dunkirk, received her Bachelors and Masters degrees at the State University of New York at Fredonia and her Administrative Degree from St. Bonaventure University. Kay taught second grade for 17 years, teaching at Lillian Dickson, East Jamestown, Ring and Rogers Elementary Schools. She also taught English and Social Studies at Washington Junior High School. In 1976 she was appointed principal at Euclid Elementary, later moving to the principalships at Lincoln and Persell Schools, retiring in 1992 after having served 34 years in the Jamestown Public Schools. Following retirement, she served as interim principal at Jefferson Junior High and Pine Valley Central School, as well as vice principal at Jamestown High School. For many years after retirement she also served as a supervisor of student teachers with SUNY Fredonia. Kay is survived by two children, Colonel (Ret.) Glenn Lawrence Burch (Jeanne) of Hinesville, GA and Kuwait, and Mary Elizabeth Boone (Mike) of Elizabeth City, NC; three grandchildren, Meredith Wallin (Patrick), Lauren Schmitz (Eric) and Olivia Boone; and three great grandchildren, Madelyn Kay, Jayce and Zoe. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a brother, Dr. Arthur Kaiser of Dunkirk. Her memberships included the School Board at S.S. Peter and Paul Parochial School, St. John's R.C. Church Parish Council, Chautauqua County Home Auxiliary, NYS Congress of PTA, W.C.A. Hospital Auxiliary, SAANY'S and Phi Delta Kappa. Other memberships included The Town Club, American Legion, VFW, AM Vets and Thule Lodge. Kay enjoyed several hobbies, her greatest being fundraising for non-profits, having served as campaign chair for The United Way, St. Susan Center for the current center, WCA Hospital and local cancer functions. She was fearful individuals would know what she wanted when they saw a letter with her signature on it. For many years, she also volunteered for and was very active in the St. John Italian Festival. Upon her retirement, Kay listed her hobbies as volunteering, traveling, golfing, gardening, reading, and rest-rest-rest. She enjoyed those to the fullest with her close friends who knew her daily ritual of getting up in the morning with a cup of coffee, turning on the television and watching the weather station, Headline News, then Fox News, while playing Sudoku or solitaire on her computer. Friends never called on the telephone until her morning ritual was over. She will be greatly missed by all her friends who with her enjoyed the Friday Night Fish Fry Club, monthly Dinner Club dinners, periodic gatherings of the Chickie-La-Las and playing golf. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. Saturday in Holy Apostles Parish, Ss Peter & Paul Church, Jamestown. The Rev.Dennis W. Mende will be celebrant. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, Dunkirk. Friends will be received from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday in the Lind Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Dr. Arthur Kaiser and Katherine Burch Educational Scholarship Fund, SUNY Fredonia, 280 Central Ave., Fredonia, NY 14063; the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, 418 Spring St., Jamestown, NY 14701; or to the W.C.A. Hospital Emergency Room Fund, 207 Foote Ave., Jamestown, NY 14701.