Kathryn Whitehead Tohir

1959 - 2018

Kathryn Whitehead Tohir Kathryn Whitehead Tohir, of New Canaan, Connecticut, passed away in New York City on Sunday, June 24th, with her loving family by her side. Kathryn was born on August 26, 1959, in Pasadena, California, to Dr. Richard and Joyce Whitehead. After living for a short time in Carmel, California, Kathryn and her family moved to Prairie Village, Kansas, in 1964, where she resided until her college years. Kathryn lived in New York City from 1984 to 1994, at which time she moved to New Canaan. Kathryn graduated from Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village in 1977. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and French from Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, in 1981. Kathryn was an exceptional student, graduating both as a member of Phi Beta Kappa and as a Durant Scholar summa cum laude. She received a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School in 1984. After law school, Kathryn worked as an associate at Hughes Hubbard & Reed in New York City, and then subsequently worked as Associate General Counsel at Lehman Brothers in New York City. In 1994, she retired from her legal career and began her new, extremely rewarding life as a full-time wife, mother and volunteer in New Canaan. Over the next 24 years, along with raising her family, Kathryn worked tirelessly in her volunteer service to enhance various organizations and enrich the lives of many throughout the country and in her new town. She held several leadership positions for Wellesley College and was actively involved with the Southern Connecticut Wellesley Club, the New York Leadership Gift Committee, the Annual Giving Committee, and the Campaign Global Leadership Council. She also enjoyed interviewing prospective Wellesley students and presenting numerous Wellesley Book Awards to high school seniors. For Georgetown University, she was a member of the Board of Regents and a member of both the Georgetown Learning Initiatives and Law Center Affairs Committees. In New Canaan, Kathryn served as a board member of Waveny Care Center, president and board member of the League of Women Voters of New Canaan, president of West Elementary School PTC, troop leader for 12 years for her daughter's Girl Scout troop, science teacher for preschool students at First Presbyterian Nursery School, art instructor for the Learning to Look program, docent at the New Canaan Historical Society, board member at the Country Club of New Canaan, and social committee co-head at the New Canaan Winter Club. In addition, she volunteered for many school activities and served as a room mother and team mom for her children numerous times. In addition to her volunteer work, Kathryn kept very busy with a variety of activities: needlepointing and knitting on Friday mornings with her sewing group, enjoying discussions with her book group, playing tennis with her weekly tennis group, traveling to New York City with her culture club, taking long walks with her neighborhood and other close friends, traveling with her parents and siblings when she was younger and with her friends and family later in life, meeting regularly with her Wellesley friends in New York City, sitting in her back yard looking at her flower gardens, and visiting her second home in Kiawah Island, South Carolina, with family and friends. While there, she especially enjoyed biking, walking on the beach, and sampling the many great restaurants of Charleston. Kathryn's most enjoyable times were spent with her family, especially her children. Her greatest happiness and pride came from watching them grow up as they did their schoolwork, played their sports, and matured into adults. She considered one of her greatest successes to be teaching them the values, morals, and principles with which she lived her life. Kathryn is survived by her husband of 29 years, David Tohir; her three children: Emily Tohir of San Francisco, California, Brian Tohir of New York, New York, and Christopher Tohir of New Canaan, Connecticut; her father and mother, Dr. Richard and Joyce Whitehead of Longboat Key, Florida and Prairie Village, Kansas; and her four siblings: Nancy Whitney (Richard) of Bronxville, New York, Barbara Shannon (Daniel) of Danville, Indiana, Richard Whitehead of Denver, Colorado, and Carolyn Parkerson (William) of Kansas City, Missouri. She is also survived by eight nieces, four nephews, three grandnieces, and two grandnephews. A memorial celebration for Kathryn will be held in New Canaan and will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations be made in Kathryn's memory to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Care Center to support Ovarian Cancer Research. Checks should be mailed to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Attn: Elliott Pollock, 885 Second Avenue, New York, New York 10017. Donations may also be made online at http://mskcc.convio.net/goto/Kathryn_Tohir. For online condolences, please visit www.hoytfuneralhome.com