Catherine Kano Kikoski

1939 - 2019

Catherine Kano Kikoski, 79, was welcomed into the arms of the Lord on March 26, 2019, peacefully surrounded by her loving husband and three children. The immediate family had a funeral Mass at Saint Peter Claver Church in West Hartford on March 29. Catherine was born on December 20, 1939, and grew up in Aleppo, Syria. She was educated by French nuns at the Lycée Immaculée Conception d'Alep through her baccalaureate. She graduated from the Beirut College for Women (now Lebanese American University) in 1959 and earned a BA from the American University of Beirut in 1961. In 1963, she completed her MA in psychology from Wesleyan University. Catherine met John on campus in September 1962, whom she married in Aleppo at the Chapel of the Lycée Immaculée Conception in 1964. They were Wesleyan's oldest married couple. In 1980, she was awarded a Doctorate in Education by the University of Massachusetts, Amherst specializing in marriage and family therapy. From 1981 to 1986, she was a psychologist for Catholic Charities in Orange, MA, and led a Foster Parent Program at Greenfield Community College. Catherine came to Saint Joseph College (now the University of Saint Joseph) in 1986, where she founded the MA Program in Marriage and Family Therapy that she directed until 2008. She was an accomplished author in three languages: Arabic, French, and English. Catherine authored numerous articles on Middle Eastern feminism as well as marriage and family therapy. She also co-authored two books addressing cultural diversity and knowledge creation with her husband. Catherine continued her mission through her last years at the Alzheimer's Resource Center (now Live Well) in Plantsville, CT; there she experienced each and every staff member's boundless care and compassion. A head nurse relayed that, in decades of working with residents, she had never seen anyone like Cathy: "Somehow, Catherine was able to pick out the most depressed of patients, join them as they walked alone, take them by the arm, and stay with them until they smiled. Then she would leave and do it again." Catherine was still doing her work as a therapist. Catherine was a giving person beyond words: a dedicated spouse, devoted mother, and inspirational grandmother. She embodied and radiated total love for her family, as well as for her friends, colleagues, and students. Her selfless devotion changed the lives of many. Guidance from her heart transformed those in her own and other generations. Catherine is survived by her husband John F., son John N., son Andre, daughter Nicole, five loving grandsons, and a large extended family. May God bless Catherine's soul, for faith and goodness and love guided her every action every day. We appreciate all of the thoughts and prayers from so many-this kindness and strength has been of great comfort to us all. A Remembrance Ceremony will be held for Catherine at the Connor Chapel of Our Lady at the University of Saint Joseph, West Hartford, CT, on September 14, 2019, at 1:00 pm. A reception will follow. All family and friends are invited to attend. Donations in her name may be made to the Catherine Kano Kikoski Memorial Scholarship Fund for Marriage and Family Therapy Students, University of Saint Joseph, 1678 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06117.