Katherine Loy Gwynn

Katherine Gilman Loy Gwynn passed away peacefully in her sleep on Friday December 14, 2012 after a long battle with lung cancer and leukemia. Her indomitable courage, abiding grace, love of family, and unwavering faith sustained her till the end.

Katherine was born on October 10, 1925 in Huntersville, NC and grew up in the Steele Creek community. She attended Berryhill High School where her father was the principal. At Berryhill, Kat – as she would later be called – was a standout basketball and tennis player long before women’s basketball or tennis was popular. She always remembered fondly her Berryhill High School classmates, and over the years stayed in touch with quite a few of them.

Katherine met Price Gwynn III through her brother William Duncan Loy Jr. while they both attended Davidson College. According to reliable sources, it was nothing less than love at first sight, and on July 6, 1944 they were married in the Steele Creek Presbyterian Church by Dr. John Mack Walker.

Even though the turbulent wartime years intervened, Kat would eventually finish her education and graduated from Queens College. She went on to teach at the Wilmore School.

A strong willed, intelligent and determined woman, Kat could have succeeded in any number of vocational pursuits, but she gladly chose motherhood, family, church and community service and the beneficiaries of that choice thank her for it.

Katherine also had a wide circle of great friends with whom she enjoyed Bridge, beach trips, and especially golf at Charlotte Country Club. Kat had a great sense of humor and kept everything around her lively and fun.

Katherine made her part of the world more compassionate, more concerned, more forgiving, and more loving. She was a life-long member of Steele Creek Presbyterian Church and we will all miss her.

Katherine is survived by her husband of 68 years, Price and by their three sons: Price IV and his wife Star and their children, Jason, and Ashley; John Gilman, and Kenneth Bruce and his wife Cynthia, and their children Amy, David, and Matthew. Kat also has two great-grandchildren, Chase and Piper Grace.

Also, surviving Katherine are nieces Mary Kay Payne and her husband Bill, and their son Michael; Dunkie Lewkowicz and her husband Yosh and their children Ashley and Randy; and nephew Bill Loy III, his wife Jane and their children Jason and David.

All services will be at Steele Creek Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, December 19. Visitation will begin at 1:00 p.m. followed by the funeral service in the sanctuary at 2:00 p.m. Graveside interment will immediately follow the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Steele Creek Presbyterian Church in Katherine’s honor. The Church address is 7407 Steele Creek Road Charlotte, NC 28217.