WHITWORTH Kathryn Jane Rieke, of Louisville, passed into the presence of her Lord and Savior on Sunday morning, May 5, at her home in Hunting Creek, Prospect. A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, she was the daughter of Maurice Hamilton Rieke and Myrna Alice Clark Rieke. She graduated from Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis, Asbury University (BA) and the University of Louisville (M.Ed.), and completed additional work at University of Kentucky and Washington University. She taught in Louisville schools, as well as in Jefferson, Jessamine and Fayette Counties. Late in her career, she taught gifted and talented students. After retiring from teaching, she served as Director of Children's Ministries at First United Methodist Church in Lexington. She was a member of Kappa Delta Pi, an International Honor Society for Educators, the Filson Historical Society, the Kentucky Historical Society, former member of Highland Mothers Club, Deer Park Baptist Church, and Hunting Creek Country Club. She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Dr. Albin C. Whitworth, her twin sons, Mark Hamilton Whitworth and Tyanne of Nicholasville, Kentucky, Stephen Kent Whitworth and Sarah of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; her grandchildren Tyler Mark, Andrew Crawford (Kinsley), Mary Kathryn and Margaret Hunt Whitworth; a sister-in-law, Ruth K. Whitworth; and many cousins. Her memorial service will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 18, in the sanctuary of Walnut Street Baptist Church, 1101 South Third St., Louisville, Kentucky. Memorial gifts may be sent to the Albin C. and Kathryn R. Whitworth Endowed Scholarship for Music and Education majors at Asbury University, One Macklem Dr., Wilmore, Kentucky 40390.

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Published by Lexington Herald-Leader on May 15, 2019.

Memories and Condolences
for Kathryn Whitworth

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9 Entries

Linda Culver-Schreck

August 20, 2019

It has been over 50 years since Mrs Whitworth was my first grade teacher at Longfellow but I can still remember what a wonderful teacher she was. I always loved when she would play the piano and we will all sing along with her. She made such an impact on so many children and I am glad I was one of them.

Patty McDowell

July 11, 2019

I believe I had Mrs. Whitworth as my first-grade teacher at Longfellow in 1968. I would never forget how gentle with me she was when I wet my pants. I was super shy and embarrassed but she spoke to me in a soothing voice in private, asking if I wanted my mother to bring some dry clothes. Being raised by a single mom, I'd already had some bad experiences with babysitters and Mrs. Whitworth was very different, which is why I still remember this moment. I am all the more impressed reading about her long history of work in education in the paper. What a wonderful person. You all have my sympathy.

Ken Hutcherson

May 17, 2019

Our love,thoughts and prayers are extended to the entire Whitworth family.

Frank and Jenny Horner

May 15, 2019

Mrs. Whitworth was an amazing teacher and inspiring lady for our family. Our children benefited from having her as a 5-Day Quest teacher in Fayette County Schools. Her dedication and encouragement for her students was a blessing to our children for which we are so thankful for. Our condolences for her family and friends as you celebrate her life. Many fond memories will be treasured of Mrs. Whitworth.

Vicki Drane

May 15, 2019

Have a lot of good memories of Katie teaching me how to play the piano. She was also my Sunday school teacher one year. I enjoyed babysitting Kent and Mark as a teen. It was so good to see Katie at my dad's funeral recently as it was fun to catch up.

Bea & Ron Holz

May 15, 2019

Katie was a joy to know -- the very best teacher our son ever had, and a wonderful, joy-filled Woman of God. Our love and prayers to all the family....

Amy Warner Newkirk

May 15, 2019

I was a member of the very first self-contained elementary gifted and talented class in Jessamine County. The Discovery Class had been created in the mid 80's as a combined 5th and 6th grade class, and Mrs. Whitworth was our teacher. I was so blessed to spend two years in her classroom. Mrs. Whitworth was always very excited about teaching and the new things she was introducing to our class and her enthusiasm was contagious. She was a very fair teacher, and she loved all of her students. But she also pushed us to be responsible and to be our best selves, and at that age, I needed to be challenged in that manner.

That first year we took a class field trip to Knoxville to visit the World's Fair, and prepared for it and hyped it up for most of the year. A few months ago several of her former students who went on this trip actually discussed it on Facebook and had fond memories of the experience.

This may sound like such a simple thing, but the one thing I remember best about Mrs. Whitworth is that she read aloud to the entire class for the 30 minutes following lunch each day. She would choose a chapter book, and we would spend as many days as it took to finish the book. Believe it or not, I still remember some of the books that she read to us. I loved to read and did so all the time as a child, but having her read aloud to us was such a treat. Whenever she would end the story for the day, I was always anxious to start back the next day and find out what happened next.

My sincerest condolences to her family, and especially to Mr. Whitworth, and her twin sons, Mark and Kent. She talked about the three of you all the time in class, and it was always with love and pride. I also remember what a huge University of Louisville fan she was, and as close to Lexington as we were, you didn't find many UL fans. But Mrs. Whitworth was unapologetic about her love for the Cards and displayed her red proudly. She was an exceptional person and a gifted educator, and she had a great impact on my life because of the two years I spent with her. The fact that it's been around 35 years since then and I still remember her so well and so fondly is evidence of how much I loved her and the great respect I had for her.