Kathryn Lucille Beebe

Kathryn Beebe

Kathryn Lucille Conoley Beebe was born at Cortez, Colorado, December 29, 1934, to Malcom David Conoley and Alta Inez Woods Conoley. She died at Mesquite, Nevada on April 22, 2010. She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers Malcom and Michael Conoley, and her beloved husband and best friend Robert Boyd Beebe. At a young age she married and divorced Walter Leo Posey and Jerry Joseph DeGattis. She is survived by her daughter Jane Hafen, whose father was John C. Rainer, Sr., Taos Pueblo, and her husband Jeffrey Hafen; her son Colin DeGattis and his wife Louisa; stepsons Robert Beebe and his wife Ruth, and Dennis Beebe and his wife Susan; nine grandchildren and five great grandchildren; sister Donna Wright and her husband Ross; and sisters-in-law, Karen Conoley and Maria Calacino.

Kathryn had a full and satisfying life. She worked as a legal secretary and passed a national Certified Professional Secretary exam. After she became an educator, she was awarded the Scroll of Honor by the Sal Ute Chapter of National Association of Secretaries. She was a Professor of Management at Salt Lake Community College for 25 years where she was awarded several outstanding faculty awards by students and by administration. She was also active in establishing the first faculty senate at SLCC. She said she had at least some effect on hundreds of students and always hoped there were positive outcomes. After retiring, she volunteered at Holy Cross Hospital and Mesquite Mental Health Clinic. She was always happiest when spending time with her grandchildren.

Getting an education was not an easy achievement for Kathryn and her siblings. They rode horses 3 miles each way to attend a two-room elementary school at Arriola CO; then rode a school bus 10 miles each way to attend high school at Montezuma County HS. Later in life she earned a BS degree from the University of Utah, an MIE degree from Utah State University, and a D.Ed. from the University of Utah. She dedicates this poem to her many relatives, neighbors, friends, colleagues and students who will miss her. Gone from My Sight by Henry Van Dyke: "I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other. Then someone at my side says: "There she is gone!" "Gone where?" Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port. Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says: "There, she is gone!" there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout: "Here she comes!" And that is dying."

A private burial service will be held at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Salt Lake City, UT. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to your charity of choice. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our "Memorial Guestbook" at www.virginvalleymortuary.com.