In Memory of Aunt Kitty

Guelda "Kathleen" Brown

(Kitty to her friends)

1930 - 2009

My Aunt Kitty passed away on Monday, Sept. 7th, 2009 after a short battle with cancer.

We happened to be in town Labor Day weekend so Jaden and I went to visit her in the hospital that Friday before. So glad we did. Jaden is too young to really understand what was going on other than Aunt Kitty was sick. Eventually Mom took him outside so I could say good-bye. So much you want to say in that moment but all I could do was hug her, tell her how much I loved her and kiss her on her cheek. Mom later shared that Aunt Kitty told her that she was so happy to see Jaden and I and finally felt at peace.

Aunt Kitty was an artist who loved to paint, sculpt, carve wood, etc. She always doted on my brother and I (mostly me), always talked to us like we were adults even when we were little and I loved spending time with her. Aunt Kitty always joked about being the "black sheep" of the family....I just think she was one of a kind and always did her own thing. She was eccentric and cool in my eyes! When I was a teenager, I went through a phase where I didn't want to listen to my parents (who doesn't) so I'd go to her house to paint or sketch while she enjoyed a glass of wine, listened to Julio Iglesias, and pet her teacup poodle.

Years later, on 2 different occasions, she took care of my Grandmother. I remember spending a summer up there helping her redo the window screens on grandma's rent houses, painting the interiors and whatever else she would let me help her with. She always made me feel like I could do anything. 2 years ago my grandma passed away so last year Aunt Kitty moved closer to my mom and dad, it's sad that she didn't have more time with my mom...I know they missed each.

I recently went through her things with my mom, organizing what was to be donated and things to be given to family. Such a hard thing to do, so many memories, you really just want to sit and look around you and reminisce. Hard to believe she's gone.

She wanted to be cremated and told my mom "just scatter me someplace" so during my visit, Jaden, Mom and I took her to her daughter's (my cousin Terri who died when I was 4) grave site and and spread her ashes around the headstone. I think she would have liked that.

Miss you Aunt Kitty!

Love,

Little One