Kathleen Sue Close

KATHLEEN SUE LANE CLOSE
November 12, 1946 - May 15, 2022

Kathy’s unexpected passing at the active age of 75 on May 15, 2022, has thrown us all for a loop. Surprises were never her thing. She was more of a “leave a clue” woman, who tied every Christmas package with a real ribbon and a real bow, along with a note that offered some kind of hint about what was inside.

(Then again, her clues were always rather esoteric—so maybe she liked surprises after all. We’ll never know for sure.)

Kathleen Sue Close (Lane) was born November 12, 1946, in Scottsbluff, NE, to Bruce and Katherine Lane. She grew up the second youngest of four children in the nearby small town of Morrill, NE. (Kathy recently got a kick out of showing her son and daughter-in-law where her old house was on Google Maps Street View and seeing how it had changed—or not changed—over the decades.)

Kathy was a smart kid from the get-go. She started kindergarten at the age of 4, eventually graduating from Morrill High School in 1964 at the age of 17. She then proudly went on to attend Loretto Heights College in Denver, CO, an all-female Catholic school. Four years later, she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree and numerous lifelong friendships. Kathy cherished her time at LHC and spoke fondly over the years of her studies and experiences there. Later in life, after her divorce, Kathy returned to graduate school and earned a Master’s in Educational Science—though she would be sure her grandchildren knew she was only one credit away from fulfilling her Master’s in Chemistry, one of her true passions. (Truth be told, she was a bit terrified of the idea of an oral dissertation and switched majors at the last minute.)

While attending LHC, Kathy met David Close, who attended neighboring Regis University. The two were married in 1971 and moved to Houston where David would finish his medical residency. There, in August 1972, Kathy gave birth to her only child, Matthew. (If it helps you recall the kind of woman Kathy was at heart, she drove herself to the hospital in active labor because David was finishing rounds and missed the birth entirely.) After a move to Pueblo and several rocky years, Kathy and David divorced—and while the upheaval certainly presented some challenges, it was definitely the best thing for Kathy and Matthew.

From the day he was born, Matthew was the light of Kathy’s life. She embraced the difficulties of being a single mother and, after several temp jobs, ultimately landed employment as a teacher in the small town of Rocky Ford, CO. (If you’re not familiar with the town, Google “Rocky Ford cantaloupe” and picture, as Matthew likes to say, the “the part of Colorado better known as Kansas.”)

For a while, Kathy and Matthew commuted to Rocky Ford from Pueblo in the dark early mornings before school. That was not, of course, a sustainable plan. Before long, the two moved to Rocky Ford to start fresh, ultimately settling in as renters in the house of a fellow teacher who, along with all the other incredibly hard-working educators in the town, quickly became family to Kathy and her son. (Many years later, Matthew, his wife and kids visited Rocky Ford en route to vacations in Breckenridge, and they still rave about the unparalleled fresh tomatoes, peppers and other produce to be found there—and of course, the hospitality couldn’t be beat.)

Kathy taught 8th grade physical science (plus a few other classes and mini-courses like needlepoint and crochet) for more than 25 years in Rocky Ford.

That sentence deserves a re-read, don’t you think? Twenty-five years. Teaching. Eighth-graders.

Just sit with that for a moment, and you’ll understand the kind of woman Kathy was: Patient. Committed to educating children for a promising future. Loving. A fantastic sense of humor—but no nonsense when the situation called for it… and let’s just say, there were plenty of situations over the years that required Kathy to use her “teacher voice.” (Later in life, Kathy would use this voice to ensure restaurant servers knew she meant business when she requested NO ONIONS.) Of course, there was one year when Matthew was a student in his mother’s class. That was the year Matthew learned to call his mother “Mrs. Close,” while every other student began to call her “Mom.”

All work and no play, however, is not how Kathy chose to live her life. She and Matthew took numerous trips with friends to places like South Dakota and Disney World. In 1986, she and Matthew crossed the pond for an incredible European vacation that she would mention at least once a month for the next 30 years. It was on this trip that they met the incomparable Father Leo Couture, with whom they kept up correspondence and friendship—and in 2000, Father Leo flew from Canada to co-officiate Matthew’s wedding. Other travel highlights in Kathy’s life included a Caribbean cruise with her LHC reunion class, Key West with friends, a trip from TX to CO with granddaughter Emma to see Pikes Peak, and her favorite: a solo road trip from CO to CA and back, with stops to visit Matthew, taste Peachy Canyon wine on the Pacific coast, tour Hearst Castle, and finally soak in the sights with her RF teacher friends who met up for a stay in sunny Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon.

Kathy’s abilities as both a mother and a teacher manifested in her son, who graduated as valedictorian of his class at Rocky Ford High School and then attended Stanford University. Kathy was beyond proud of Matthew’s accomplishments. When Matthew married his wife, Sarah, Kathy visited every chance she got. And when grandchildren entered the picture, Kathy decided she was ready to retire and move on to her next great adventure. Matthew and his family moved from CA to TX in 2005, had their third and final child in 2007, and Kathy moved to TX to be near them full-time in 2008. She settled about 10 minutes down the road in a quaint two-bedroom apartment—finally, for the first time in her life, living independently.

There has never been, nor will there ever be, a grandmother quite like Kathy. She was, as her daughter-in-law liked to say, the kind of grandmother who would get down on the floor to play. Kathy adored her three grandkids—Emma, Lissa, and Joe—each in their own way. There were far too many sleepovers at “Camp Gramma” to count—not just with her own grandkids but with their friends, too. She had crafts and activities galore. As the girls got older and busier, Joe became her greatest admirer, often spending many nights in a row at her apartment, where they would cook together, build LEGOs, play Star Wars, play board games and card games, watch movies, go swimming, and so much more. She was his “Gramma Buddy” for years.

Lest you think retirement for Kathy was all about the grandkids, however, think again. In addition to always being the caretaker of Matthew’s kids and dogs when the family needed help, Kathy was a Girl Scout troop leader for Lissa’s troop 4060 for several years. She also worked to help other neighbors in driving kids to appointments or watching their kids as needed. She was an active member of the Southlake Women’s Club for almost a decade, as well as a member of the Southlake Garden Club. She joined her son and his friends at neighborhood parties. She was a fixture at the neighborhood Bingo nights with her daughter-in-law. When Matthew and Sarah held huge driveway parties for Halloween every year, Kathy would be there, wine glass in hand, with her witch cape and hat on, handing out candy.

Everyone loved Kathy.

Over the last few years, as the grandkids got even older (Emma off to college, Lissa finishing high school, Joe playing football), the highlight of the week became Sunday family dinner. With very few exceptions, Kathy drove over to Matthew’s house every Sunday for a home-cooked feast. No matter what Matthew cooked, Kathy loved it. (True story: He once had to tell her very directly that he wanted her to critique his food because it couldn't all be “perfect.” After that, she would occasionally tell him that something was “dry.” That was about as critical as she could get.) The adults would sit around the patio table or the kitchen counter, enjoying wine or beer or margaritas, discussing the latest apartment complex gossip, political blunders, kid accomplishments, or hometown friend news.

Kathy’s last trip was over Thanksgiving this past November, when the family drove from TX to Chicago to visit Emma at college for a week. She hadn’t visited the Windy City in decades and delighted in the river architecture cruise, staying at the Palmer House, seeing a Broadway musical in previews, and baking her famous coffee cake Thanksgiving morning with Emma, in Emma’s apartment.

To say Kathy will be missed is an understatement. Every Sunday dinner there will be an empty patio chair, an empty kitchen barstool. There will be empty chairs at holidays. But make no mistake: Kathy lived an iconic life, one many women only dream of. She had a family she loved and who loved her back fiercely. She educated generations of young people who are now out in the world, working, contributing, believing, changing, and conquering. She might have been small in stature, sometimes quiet in speech, but there was nothing insignificant about her. Kathy was larger than life—and that’s how we know she will live on.

Kathy was preceded in death by her mother, father, and brother Patrick Lane. She is survived by her son, Matthew Close, daughter-in-law Sarah, and three amazing grandchildren, Emma (20), Clarissa (18), and Joseph (14) of Southlake, TX; brother & sister-in-law, Jeff & Darlene Lane (Fenton, MI), and their children, Jason Jupe (Austin, TX) and Michael Lane (NYC, NY); sister Mary Ann Lane and her daughter Katherine Smith (San Francisco, CA); niece Susannah Kyte and nephew Nathan Lane; and numerous grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

Join Kathy’s family as they remember her fondly at a Celebration of Life—aptly themed Margaritas & Memories—on Saturday, June 4, 2022 at 2:00 pm at the SouthRidge Lakes Clubhouse in Southlake, TX (111 SouthRidge Lakes Parkway). For those who cannot attend, a livestream and/or video recording will be provided. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you find a way to support your local public school teachers, who work harder than you’ll ever know.