Kathryn Lois Kleckley

Kathryn Lois Kleckley (known to many as “KK”), beloved daughter, sister, niece, cousin, aunt, neighbor, and friend, died Saturday, February 12, 2022, of natural causes at her home on Hilton Head Island. She had just turned 36 years old.

Kathryn earned a business degree in 2008 from Presbyterian College, which she attended on a tennis scholarship, and where she joined Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. She graduated with skills in business and real estate – as well life-long passions for animal welfare, and for creating beauty around her.

When her job as a property manager on Hilton Head Island required her to extract alligators out of pools or enormous beehives from walls, she was ready with the skills and the caring heart. Every living thing had value to Kathryn, and she relocated every creature she could to safer places. She also took care of many generations of feral cats, building them shelters and making sure they were fed. She found joy in rescuing and providing a home for Mr. Nubbs, a flame-point, bobtail Siamese with blue eyes.

Kathryn’s beauty was striking, but even more so her quick mind, her authenticity, her caring nature, and her true heart. Petite in stature, she was huge in courage and fierce in love. She had a lifelong passion for gardening, every genre of music, building custom wood furniture, making found objects into art, painting, travel, and the beach. She was a lifelong, diehard Clemson football fan. For those close to her, KK was that ride-at-midnight friend.

Her shocked, stricken family members and friends struggle to comfort one another. Mother Francie Weatherly Kleckley, of Lexington, cherished her first-born, athletic, baby girl, who was always “Pooky” to her, and was her travel companion (to Cuba, Mexico, Key West, San Francisco, New Orleans, New York, Hawaii, and Barcelona, as well as on ski trips and to U.S. Open tournaments, and concerts). Kathryn wrote monthly love letters to “MOM” in big, block letters and included selected magazine clippings, hipster highlights, and her own small works of art. Mother and daughter often shared gardening plans, animals (not birds), and building projects.

Father Joseph Lee "Jody" Kleckley -- formerly of the West Columbia/Lexington area, now of Edisto Beach -- loved spending time with Kathryn digging for clams, shucking oysters, and partying on the decks of his Edisto Beach home. Kathryn could often be seen on the roof of her Dad’s house at night (a forbidden area) getting as close as possible to the stars. Along with Mom, Pops was her biggest supporter through her competitive school-age athletics (basketball, softball, and tennis), and especially the years Pops coached her Bobcat softball teams to become the U.S.S.S.A. Champions for two years in a row. Father and daughter shared a secret, motivational phrase, “Coca Cola,” which meant “bring your very best, RIGHT NOW.” For Dad, Kathryn was always the one who knew the right thing to say or to do.

Kathryn was ever the big sister and protector of her brother, Edward Alexander “Allen” Kleckley of Edisto Island, SC, even though Allen towered over her by a foot. Kathryn and Allen both adored gardening, cars, animals, Mom and Pops, and Allen’s daughter, Collins. Their many shared secrets and inside jokes cannot be repeated here.

For her aunt, Beverly Kleckley of Lexington, Kathryn was the only girl in her generation, so she adored buying KK girly things, and talking about love interests. First cousins Chris “Bubba” Gorman and Kelsey Gorman knew that Kathryn was always going to be the life of any party. Four-year-old niece Collins Grace Kleckley was blessed to have her Aunt KK for a short time. KK always brought the magic – like bubble wands, bags of magic markers and crayons, and a roll of butcher-block paper. KK would lay on the floor for hours coloring with Collins.

Kathryn is predeceased by maternal grandparents, Gordon Edward Weatherly and Lois Milsaps Weatherly of Bennettsville, SC, and her paternal grandparents, Jessie Lee Kleckley and Kathryn Kaminer Kleckley of Lexington/West Columbia, SC. Kathryn was named after her two grandmothers.

In addition to her blood relatives, Kathryn is survived by her sister-in-law, Celese Miller and her stepmother, Nekki Shutt as well as Nekki’s relatives who adored their adventurous, loving KK who accompanied them on many trips and visits: step grandparents, Rebecca and Jim Stevens of White Oak Creek, TN; step great aunt, Ann Reynolds of Key West, FL and New York, NY; in-laws, John Eagle and Michelle Miller Shutt and their daughter, Catherine Shutt of Anchorage, AK; in-law, Jason Ridings and niece, Rinoa Shutt of Lexington, SC; cousin, Rachel Reynolds and niece, Cora Reynolds-McCall of Philadelphia, PA; cousins, Rex and Courtney Reynolds and their daughters, Alexa and Charlotte Reynolds of Charlotte, NC; niece, Emma Lee of New York, NY; nephew, Dillon Lee of Clemson, SC; niece, Olivia Lee of Charlotte, NC. Kathryn’s dearest friends include Amy Weaver, Breen Chambless, Jessi Collins, and her many long-time co-workers in the hospitality industry on Hilton Head Island. Many in Lexington will remember Kathryn from her high school days working at Top Spin.

All agree she cannot be replaced, but neither will their love for her ever cease. Love is eternal.

The family will host a celebration of life on Saturday, February 19, 2022, at 4:00 p.m. at Caughman-Harman Funeral Home, Lexington Chapel (503 North Lake Drive, Lexington, SC). As Kathryn was a breast cancer survivor and an animal rescuer, in lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Kathryn’s honor to Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness, Research, and Support at metavivor.org OR Palmetto Animal League at palmettoanimalleague.org.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.caughmanlexington.com for the Kleckley family.