Katherine Burns

1941 - 2023

Katherine (Katy) Burns

Bow, NH - After a remarkably full and rewarding life, Katherine (Katy) Burns of Bow, N.H., died on November 22, 2023, at the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative & Hospice Care in Lebanon, N.H., following a lengthy illness.

Katy was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1941 to Isabel (Wilke) and John Snider. In 1962 she graduated from Ursuline College with a degree in English, and she lived in the Cleveland area for many years before moving to Bow in 1989 with her husband, Don.

Katy was a courageous, funny and award-winning journalist. For more than 20 years she was a columnist for the Concord Monitor, where she won seven N.H. Press Association awards, including three "Columnist of the Year" awards.

She was an elegant writer who was unafraid to take on controversial topics or to annoy (and even outrage) elected officials and, inevitably, some readers. But she was also an insightful observer of every imaginable part of the local and national scene. As former Monitor editor Felice Belman once wrote, "Seasons changed, political parties fell into and out of favor, governors came and went, and Katy Burns persisted, providing context, humor and a good dose of moral outrage to help us understand the often absurd parade on the public stage….Katy's column, her unique voice, helped give the Monitor its personality, a regular jolt of opinion that readers loved … or loved to hate."

Earlier Katy was a reporter for the Cleveland Press and then editor, reporter and columnist for two Cleveland weekly newspapers, and at one of those papers she won an "Editorial of the Year" award, in competition with all Cleveland area newspapers, including the two dailies. After she moved to New Hampshire, she contributed columns to numerous publications, including New Hampshire Magazine, New Hampshire Business Review, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Boston Globe, on top of her regular stint as a Monitor columnist.

Katy also spent much time and effort in support of her community. For example, she served on the City Council in East Cleveland, Ohio, and she was an active member and supporter of other important organizations in that poor and troubled community, and she was proud to have successfully badgered state officials to give the city critically needed help.

At various times she was active in politics and was the press secretary for John Glenn in his successful first run for U.S. Senate and for (now Senator) Sherrod Brown in his successful campaign for Ohio Secretary of State, along with many other candidates for local and state offices in Ohio.

Katy was also a regional press secretary for Jimmy Carter in his successful presidential run and for George McGovern in his campaign.

Although she always worked exclusively for Democrats, Katy was known and respected by Republicans, and she was successful as a press secretary because--although she was an ardent advocate for her candidates--she was always straightforward and honest in her advocacy. One prominent Republican (who was mayor of Cleveland and later Governor and then U.S. Senator) admired her so much that he publicly lauded her community service and urged her to be his press secretary. (Katy politely declined.)

Katy loved gardening and cooking and excelled at both. She also loved traveling with Don, especially their 30-day trip across the U.S. in her Volkswagen bug, camping all the way in a 2-person mountain tent, and later exploring small cities and towns in various corners of Europe.

Katy is survived by Don, her husband of 53 years, together with her loving siblings: Della Snider of Matthews, N.C.; Tom Snider of Greenville, S.C.; Betsy Snider of Acworth, N.H.; and John Snider (and his wife, Jill) of Oak Harbor, Ohio, along with a bevy of delightful and beloved nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her best friend, Laura Avakian (and her husband, Steve) of Norton, Mass.

Katy's family would like to thank the medical providers at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and the Jack Byrne Center for their kind and skilled care during her last weeks.

There will be no funeral service but a celebration of her life is anticipated for some time in the spring of 2024.