GREENSBORO — Kathryn (Kay) Wakefield died Sunday November 25, 2012 after a brief illness. She resided in the Guilford College area since 1946, and was married for 68 years to the late Carl (Jack) Wakefield, a local commercial contractor.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Wednesday November 28, 2012 at 11 a.m. at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church with Father John Allen officiating. The family will receive friends on Tuesday November 27, 2012 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Forbis and Dick funeral home (Guilford Chapel). Interment will be private.
Mrs. Wakefield was born Kathryn Fulmer in Brooklyn, NY on February 29, 1920 to the late Clifton and Kathryn Fulmer. She was the fourth of nine children and grew up in Hillsdale, New Jersey. All of her siblings are deceased except two sisters, Marion Dimick and Mary Carratura, residing in New Jersey. After graduating from Park Ridge (NJ) High School, Mrs. Wakefield served in the Women's Air Corps (WAC) during World War II. She was employed as a nurse's aid at Wesley Long Hospital, and retired as a customer service representative after 10 years at Gate City Savings and Loan in Greensboro.
Survivors include all eleven of her children: Marsha (Mrs. John) Baird of Bloomsburg, PA; Kathryn (Mrs. Jack) LeFaivre of Winston-Salem; Sharon (Mrs. James) Alderman of Charlotte; Bonnie Warlick of Raleigh; Carl (wife Cathy) of Lafayette, LA; Clif (wife Cindy) of Delta, AL; Michael of Charlotte; Carol (Mrs. Paul) Nagel of Colfax; Mary Ann (Mrs. Ralph) Whitehurst of Wake Forest; Debbie (Mrs. Mike) Minick of St. Simons, GA and John (wife Lori) of Birmingham, AL. She is also survived by 25 grandchildren and 41 great grandchildren.
Kay will be remembered for her steadfast Catholic faith, her maternal devotion to her family, and her pride in serving her country during World War II. In an interview in 2003, she told the Betty H. Carter Women's Veteran's Project at UNC-G:
"I was twenty-three. I was patriotic. I loved our country, and we loved our president. We loved everything. And seeing those [recruiting] signs really got to me. It really touched me. And so I went up to the Palace Theater and signed up, without telling anyone."
The family expresses its gratitude to the professional staff at the memory care unit of Pennybyrn, and at High Point Regional Hospital for their care and support. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Road, Greensboro, NC 27410, or to Pennybyrn, 1315 Greensboro Road, High Point, NC 27269 (c/o The Resident Care Fund).
On-line condolences may be offered at www.forbisanddick.com