Raised in Ketchikan, Alaska, Kitty graduated from Ketchikan High School in 1963. She pursued her passion for teaching at Western Washington University, earning a B.A. in Elementary Education and English Literature in 1966. She later continued her lifelong commitment to learning by completing an M.A. in Education focused on multiple intelligence styles from City University in 1995.
In 1965, Kitty began what would become a remarkable 42-year career with the Rochester School District. She taught grades four through eight at Grand Mound Elementary School, touching the lives of thousands of students and families. Her classroom was a place of curiosity, encouragement, and joyful energy — so much a reflection of her own vivacious spirit. After retiring in 2007, she embraced her favorite role of all: full-time Nana to her four grandsons, who filled her days with immeasurable joy and laughter.
Kitty is lovingly remembered by her son, Eric D. Smith of Grand Mound, and his wife, Brenda Gutsche Smith, and their sons, Bodey (23) and Garren (21); and by her daughter, Elizabeth Smith of Grand Mound, and her husband, Curtis Gramelspacher, and their sons, Hugh (21) and Henry (19). She is also survived by her sister, Gail Wade of Fairfax, Virginia, and her brother, John Wayne Peterson of Ketchikan, Alaska.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, David Robert Smith of Grand Mound; her father, Raymond Henry Peterson of Ketchikan; and her mother, Bessie Elizabeth Grim Peterson Markham of Napavine.
Kitty’s life outside the classroom was as rich and spirited as her years within it. A self-described “cradle to grave Lutheran — just hadn’t gotten to the grave part yet,” she worshiped faithfully at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Rochester and later at Immanuel Lutheran Church ELCA in Centralia. Her church family sustained her with fellowship and faith throughout her life.
A woman of boundless energy, Kitty walked at least five miles every day — logging more than 71 million steps in the past nine years alone, roughly 53,000 miles, or the equivalent of crossing the United States 19 times around Grand Mound. She reached level 44 in Pokémon Go, delighting in the game’s mix of whimsy, challenge and daily adventure. She loved Diet Pepsi, lottery scratch tickets, crockpot beans, Smithsonian and National Geographic History magazines, traveling with friends and family, and doting on her beloved cat, Pearl. She never missed an opportunity to share a laugh or lend a hand to anyone who needed one.
Kitty had strong opinions — she disliked caterpillars, oysters and the color purple — but even stronger affections for the people she taught and the community she served. Her love for Grand Mound and Rochester was unwavering; the place shaped her, and she shaped it in return.
Our family would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to Assured Hospice and Silver Acres 3 for their compassionate care. They are angels among us.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Rochester Friends and Neighbors (RFAN) or the Rochester Scholarship Association (RSA), two nonprofit organizations dedicated to the well-being and education of community members who meant so much to Kitty.
May Kathryn “Kitty” Smith’s memory continue to inspire all who knew her — each step taken in kindness or curiosity echoing her own.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Dec. 13, 2025, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Grand Mound Elementary School gymnasium, 7710 James Road SW, Rochester, Washington. A potluck-style reception will follow in the GMES lunchroom.
