Obituary for Katharine Frances "Kate" Park (Park)
Katharine “Kate” Frances Park passed away on July 2, 2020, after a long fight with a brain disease. She was born on May 13, 1980, to Judy and Michael Park in Jacksonville, Arkansas. She is survived by her loving family, parents, Michael and Judy Park of Winnsboro; sister, Kelley E. Park of Dallas; long-term partner, Chris Vognar of Houston; uncle, Tim Park of Winnsboro; aunts, Patrice Jones of Hot Springs, AR and Joan Marks of Cypress, CA.
Kate was the person we all dream of personifying. Her heart, strength, and compassion were immeasurable. After getting her Masters of Art in English literature at Goldsmiths in London, she pursued a career in the non-profit sector. Prior to her education in London, she attended the University of North Texas in 2002.
Her passion for art, history, and libraries shone through in an unrelenting goal of making the world a better place through these entities. Many organizations benefited from Kate’s work, including the Friends of the Dallas Public Library and the Fort Worth Museum of Science.
Kate’s work at the Friends of the Dallas Public Library as the Executive Director brought library funding back up to pre-2008 levels by 2019. In 2013 she introduced the AuthorSpeak series bringing many authors to speak at the library. Later that year, Kate was part of the team that successfully won funding from The National Endowment for the Arts to bring The Big Read to Dallas. The Big Read book that year was Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Because of that partnership, the Friends of the Dallas Public Library helped distribute thousands of copies of the book and hosted discussions about censorship.
She brought many other programs to the Dallas Public Library including, Books for Dallas Babies in partnership with Parkland Health and Hospital System. She brought back the community book sale that many Dallas citizens loved.
In addition to her work, she was an active knitter and quilter involving herself in not just the hobby but also the growth of the arts associated with these crafts. Many friends have received quilts and other handmade projects from her. Kate also enjoyed music and would frequently travel to see artists in concert if it was someone she really loved.
Private Family Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, at Beaty Funeral Home-Winnsboro 816 W. Broadway Winnsboro, TX 75494, at 11:00 am, Rev. Debbie Lyons conducting. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Winnsboro Standard Club, 621 W. Coke RD. Winnsboro, TX 75494, or the Gilbreath Public Library, please note the donation is in honor of Kate Park. Online donations can be made at https://www.fumcwinnsboro.com/giving-2/. The donations from this fund will be used to fund to purchase books that Kate loved for the library to be placed in “Kate’s Corner” and to build an outdoor area named “Kate’s Park.”
Kate was the person we all dream of personifying. Her heart, strength, and compassion were immeasurable. After getting her Masters of Art in English literature at Goldsmiths in London, she pursued a career in the non-profit sector. Prior to her education in London, she attended the University of North Texas in 2002.
Her passion for art, history, and libraries shone through in an unrelenting goal of making the world a better place through these entities. Many organizations benefited from Kate’s work, including the Friends of the Dallas Public Library and the Fort Worth Museum of Science.
Kate’s work at the Friends of the Dallas Public Library as the Executive Director brought library funding back up to pre-2008 levels by 2019. In 2013 she introduced the AuthorSpeak series bringing many authors to speak at the library. Later that year, Kate was part of the team that successfully won funding from The National Endowment for the Arts to bring The Big Read to Dallas. The Big Read book that year was Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Because of that partnership, the Friends of the Dallas Public Library helped distribute thousands of copies of the book and hosted discussions about censorship.
She brought many other programs to the Dallas Public Library including, Books for Dallas Babies in partnership with Parkland Health and Hospital System. She brought back the community book sale that many Dallas citizens loved.
In addition to her work, she was an active knitter and quilter involving herself in not just the hobby but also the growth of the arts associated with these crafts. Many friends have received quilts and other handmade projects from her. Kate also enjoyed music and would frequently travel to see artists in concert if it was someone she really loved.
Private Family Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, at Beaty Funeral Home-Winnsboro 816 W. Broadway Winnsboro, TX 75494, at 11:00 am, Rev. Debbie Lyons conducting. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Winnsboro Standard Club, 621 W. Coke RD. Winnsboro, TX 75494, or the Gilbreath Public Library, please note the donation is in honor of Kate Park. Online donations can be made at https://www.fumcwinnsboro.com/giving-2/. The donations from this fund will be used to fund to purchase books that Kate loved for the library to be placed in “Kate’s Corner” and to build an outdoor area named “Kate’s Park.”