Kathy Lynn Sappenfield Clark

Kathy Lynn Sappenfield Clark

June 11, 1953 – October 21, 2021

Kathy Lynn Sappenfield Clark, 68, passed away on October 21, 2021. Kathy was born on June 11, 1953 in High Point, North Carolina to the late Harold Wilson Sappenfield and Mary Faye Sappenfield. She grew up with her parents and sisters in a loving home on Oakview Road in High Point. Kathy and her sisters loved to ride their bikes and read. She was incredibly social and loved to be out and about with her friends.

Upon graduating from Andrews High School, Kathy enrolled at Guilford Technical Community College, where she received an Associate degree in Dental Hygiene. She would eventually return to GTCC many years later to obtain her Diploma in Medical Transcription. This would lead to her teaching there as an adjunct for her former instructors, where she quickly got the teaching bug. Leading to her being offered a full-time position in 2008 while completing her Associate degree in Medical Office Administration.

Kathy is survived by her husband, Timothy Clark of Greensboro, NC; her 2 sons, Adam Shumaker, of Atlanta, GA; and Sam and his wife Tricia Shumaker, of Greensboro, NC; her 2 sisters, Teresa and her husband Allan Richardson of Montgomery, AL; and Lisa and her husband Doug Newton, of High Point, NC; 2 nephews; 2 nieces; and 2 grandchildren.

She worked briefly as a Dental Hygienist prior to and during her first marriage. She would later put her career aside to devote her time to raising her sons, but over the years that followed she would wear many hats career wise. Kathy and one of her closet friends would go into business, opening a fashion boutique. She would take on the role of Office Manager on and off again over the course of several years at Plants & Answers and The Big Greenhouse. In 1998, Kathy would become the Executive Administrative Assistant at Southern Office Furniture. Directly reporting to the company President, who referred to her as “a genius”, she worked hand in hand with contractors to coordinate a $1.5 million corporate office, overseeing the owners’ LLC companies. 10 years later, she would receive her 2nd Associate degree while also working full time at GTCC. From then on, Kathy would continue to further her education while teaching. She loved the constant learning that came with teaching. She never stopped. She loved to learn and she loved to teach. According to her colleagues, she could make anything fun. Even something as mundane and overwhelming as medical coding. Kathy was a “fierce and confident” leader that never gave up on her students.

Everywhere Kathy went she made lifelong, lasting friendships, and was loved by everyone she worked with. She was passionate about her faith in Christ and sharing it with others. Kathy was equally passionate when expressing her opinions, which were always well informed and to the point. Never one to shy away from difficult topics, standing up for herself and what she believed to be true and just, with love and grace. Her favorite place in the world was at the beach, sitting in a chair at the edge of the water, with a good book in her hands and the water at her feet. She was a wonderful soul that shined bright enough to fill up every room she was in. The pain of her sudden loss is immense, but all of us that were fortunate enough to know her will forever be blessed by having had her in our lives.