Kathleen "Cathy" Masnik Fitch, 58, died in Tampa, Florida, January 8, 2010, of congestive heart failure stemming from treatments for lymphoma.

Cathy was born in Schenectady, New York, March 24, 1951, and moved to Charlottesville as a child. She earned a degree in Education from the University of Virginia and taught elementary education in Powhatan and Berryville, Virginia, and at the Meriwether Lewis School in Albemarle County. She moved to Massachusetts with her husband in 1980, and taught at Winn Brook School (KED program) in Belmont, Massachusetts for many years.

For the last few years Cathy was employed by the Dodge Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A kind and gifted teacher, Cathy was much loved by her students and their parents, and by her colleagues and friends.

She is survived by her husband, Dr. John Fitch of Tampa, Florida; daughters, K.C. Fitch of Crested Butte, Colorada, and Martha Fitch of Portland, Maine; her parents, Mike and Helen Masnik, of Lynchburg; her sister, Barbara Waring of Yorktown; brothers, Dr. Mike Masnik of Vienna, and Robert Masnik of Lynchburg.

Cathy is also survived by her husband's parents, Dr. and Mrs. W.M. Fitch of Vero Beach, Florida, who loved her as a daughter; and her in-laws and their spouses; cousins, nieces, and nephews, who played vibrant roles in her life.

Finally, she will be sorely missed by Maisey, her loyal bassett hound of 14 years.

As a youth, Cathy relished the summers on the beaches of New Jersey and North Carolina. Later in her life, she was a summer resident of Sawyer Island in Boothbay, where she enjoyed the breathtaking natural beauty encountered during sailing trips made to nearby harbors. She enjoyed gardening, quilting, and traveling until her health declined.

A memorial celebration for Cathy is being planned for May 22, 2010, in Urbanna, Virginia.

Please contact jfitch01@gmail.com for further information.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be directed to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital ; e-mail: donors@stjude.org , or to the charity of your choice that deals with childrens' health.
 

Published in the Daily Progress on February 3, 2010