Kathleen Herndon Harrick

Kathleen Herndon Harrick, 81, passed away peacefully surrounded by family in Naples, FL, on January 7, 2025. She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Mary Frances Herndon, her brothers, James and Michael, and is survived by her husband, G. Thomas, of fifty-seven years; her sister, Anne Considine of Olympia, Washington, and her family; son Stephen Harrick and wife Jennifer Min of Menlo Park, CA, and their children, Thomas and Timothy; son Gregory Harrick of San Francisco, CA, and his partner, Senna Osby; and son Christopher Harrick and wife Tania Harrick of Orinda, CA, and their children, Andrew, Lily, and Matthew. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Kathleen’s favored charity: Doctors Without Borders. Kathleen was born on October 1, 1943, in Akron, Ohio, and grew up in the northwest suburbs of the city. She graduated from Our Lady of the Elms and earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Northwestern University and a master’s from Miami University of Ohio. She met the love of her life, Thomas Harrick, after returning to Akron, and the young couple settled in the suburbs south of Pittsburgh, where she dedicated her life to raising her three boys. She was a devoted mother who was determined that her sons receive a proper liberal arts education. She encouraged her boys to attend Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, which enlarged their worlds and enriched the life of the family through the friendships, opportunities, and memories that were forged in Western Massachusetts. Kathleen loved the arts, especially literature. She wrote poetry, attended writing retreats, and was a member of dozens of book clubs across her life, where she bonded with other lovers of the written word. She exposed her family to many cultural activities, including the opera, symphony, Shakespearean plays, libraries, and museums throughout Pittsburgh. Once her kids left home, Kathleen and Tom enjoyed summer retreats at Chautauqua Institution in Western New York, which they supported for three decades. She was a supporter of political and social causes. She joined Peace Links in the 1980s, which fostered connections between American and Soviet women during the Cold War. Her advocacy for nuclear disarmament in the 1980s led her to make an appearance on the popular Phil Donahue Show, where she talked about how our shared humanity could overcome political divisions. She served as a fundraiser and supporter for the League of Women Voters and was an advocate for people, like herself, who suffered from bipolar disorder. Her greatest cause was her family and the care and support she provided to her husband, Tom, and her three boys: Stephen, Gregory, and Christopher. She held her boys to a high standard and kept their egos in check with her feisty sense of humor. Kathleen believed the greatest fault was to be boring, and under that measure, she never failed. We could fill many pages with stories about Kathleen Harrick: her hilarious troubles with technology, non sequiturs at the dinner table, camera work at Deer Valley, exits from ski lifts, and unbelievable golf shots. They are all great stories, none of which were boring, just like the beloved wife, mother, and grandmother who gave them to us and whom we will dearly miss. Kathleen believed that a life well-lived was one of deep engagement and love. Her own words perhaps best encapsulate the wisdom she leaves behind for those who knew and loved her: “I celebrate this third graduation, But I must tell you what I know, That years ahead will disappear As fast as the years I’ve tallied here. To life, there is just one recourse: live each role deeply and with love, son, husband, father, friend, so that Time stands indifferent at the end.”

Kathleen Herndon Harrick

October 1, 1943 - January 7, 2025