Katherine "Kay" Klemit Mack

Katherine "Kay" Klemit Mack of Austin, TX passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on November 14, 2014 less than a month before her 83rd birthday. She was a kind, generous, loving, and independent woman who will be missed by all who knew her.

Katherine Klemit was born in Bradley, IL in December 1931. She grew up in neighboring Kankakee where she graduated from high school. Kay graduated from Knox College in Galesburg, IL in 1953 (biology major, chemistry minor). She then married Robert Mack, and they had two children, Gregory and Nancy who miss their mother dearly. The Mack family moved to Austin in August 1972. After a divorce in 1973, Kay became a science teacher at McCallum High School where she taught physics and physical science until she retired from teaching in 1995. Kay earned her Masters Degree in Education from The University of Texas at Austin in the late 1970s. She was also elected to membership in Delta Kappa Gamma and Phi Kappa Phi Societies.

Kay remained very active during her retirement. She was active in the Newcomers group for many years, and was an "every Sunday" member of the University United Methodist Church. She was an avid bridge player and she played weekly at the Senior Activity Center and with her other bridge playing friends on a regular basis.

Kay always loved to learn new things. This led her to devote a lot of her time and passion to the Lifetime Learning Institute of Austin (LLI), where she served on the Advisory Council, volunteered in the LLI office, and was an enthusiastic participant in classes each semester.

Kay loved living in her home in Northwest Austin. Although osteoporosis hindered her from walking upright without the aid of her magic walking stick, she was independent in all her daily activities. On Friday, November 14, Kay experienced some severe pain in her jaw and some dizziness. Kay walked out of her home under her own power, conversed with her neighbor who drove her to the hospital, she walked into the emergency room, and less than an hour later she suffered a massive heart attack. Kay did not suffer. She lived in her home, as she had always wanted, until the last 90 minutes of her life. She is in peace and with God now.

Kay is survived by her two children, Nancy Katherine Mack of Hudsonville, MI and Gregory Robert Mack, Gregg's wife Barbara Wiethorn Mack, her brother-in-law Elmer Gray, her nephew Michael E. Gray, and Michael's wife Janel Gray, all of Austin.

A memorial service for Katherine will be held at 2:00 PM on Sunday, December 14th at the University United Methodist Church, 2409 Guadalupe Street.

In lieu of sending flowers, the family suggests memorial donations be made to the organization that Kay was passionate about: Lifetime Learning Institute, 7703 N. Lamar, Suite 131, Austin, TX 78752, www.lliaustin.org.