Harriet Katz Obituary

May 10, 1944 - August 14, 2022 Harriet Katz died August 14, 2022, at her home in Pikesville, MD. Born in 1944, the daughter of Jerome and Rosalyn Katz of Great Neck, NY, Harriet majored in English at Radcliffe College, and soon began teaching in New York City public schools. In 1968, she moved to Los Angeles, CA, where she spent most of her adult years. She was a writer and editor for publications of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California. A lifelong cellist, she began playing music professionally in the 1990's, teaching cello and founding the Ladies Choice String Quartet, a group which performed at over 1800 events over the years. In 2001, she married Joel O'Brien, a jazz musician and collage artist, whom she had first known in high school. They were very happy together. Unfortunately, he passed away three years later, and the pain from that loss was with her the rest of her days. In 2006, she began composing music, seeking an outlet for her grief. Despite no formal training in music composition, she composed a number of works, including an opera, over the years. In 2012, she moved to Pikesville, MD, from which she continued her musical composition activities. Her compositions can be found on the internet at HarrietKatzmusic.com. She is survived by her brother, Joel Katz, of Arlington, VA and his wife, Mary Detweiler. Contributions in Harriet's memory may be made to the ACLU Foundation of Southern California, 1313 W. 8th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Los Angeles Times on Aug. 26, 2022.

Memories and Condolences
for Harriet Katz

9 Entries

Meegan Lee Ochs

June 26, 2023

I just learned of Harriet's passing and wanted to send my condolences to her family. Harriet was not only an extraordinary person, she generously supported the ACLU of Southern California events by performing with the Ladies Choice String Quartet at the reception for our annual events for many years. She will be missed.

Jonathan Goren

December 14, 2022

I just found out about the death of my friend Harriet Katz.
She was an accomplished lady in almost every way.
Her academic knowledge, personality, warmth, leadership, compositions, and conversations were always fun.
I will miss her.
It was great playing chamber music, gigs, and composer recitals with her.
It was also great having her over, at my mom's house, during the Jewish holidays.

Robert Cauer

September 5, 2022

May your hearts soon be filled with wonderful memories of joyful times together as you celebrate a life well lived.

Jill (Virginia Weisell Dike)

September 1, 2022

It is hard to believe Harriet is gone, especially for me who had planned to visit her last week, taking the train down from Philadelphia as I did three years ago. I was still waiting to hear back from her, wondering why I had not, never imagining she was no longer there.
Harriet was my Radcliffe College roommate and among my closest friends throughout our four years at Harvard. We came together that first day, from backgrounds at once similar and distant--both of us products of public school, sharing a strong interest in music and urge to explore basic questions, though from very different cultural backgrounds. We shared and explored together and in the process learned so much. I also was privileged to meet her family, especially her lovely mother, who took me in on holidays when my Indiana home was too far. (I loved Harriet´s tribute In My Mother´s Garden.) Harriet was a breath of fresh air, so open and responsive. She helped me work through a challenging college experience, as I hope I helped her. How we loved to share thoughts and music, to endlessly talk things through!
After college we went our different directions and had little contact for many years. But finally, after getting updates from Harriet´s entry in our Class of `66 reunion book and through our mutual friend Betsy, we connected and got back together. Best was the day we spent together in her Baltimore apartment the summer of 2019. Harriet showed herself to be the same breath of fresh air I had known in college. It was inspiring to hear of all she had done, in the midst of and in spite of setbacks-her rewarding work with the ACLU, her reunion and joyful time with Joel, and always her music. I was moved to hear of all she had accomplished and the way she had employed music to work through life´s challenges-her playing, still the cello; the community she built with the Ladies Choice String Quartet; her opera based on the story of Naomi and Ruth, a favorite of mine, using it to express and move through grief; and her courage in venturing into the entirely new area of musical composition. Always, her excitement about sharing, Again, I found the same vibrant, outgoing Harriet. How I wish we had been able to get together this year and again and again! Harriet was a blessing to many and will be sorely missed.

Photo: Harriet (right) & friends at Radcliffe

Rena Katz

August 28, 2022

My deepest condolences to everyone in Harriet´s family.

Marc Holzer

August 27, 2022

Harriet Katz was a dear classmate at Great Neck South High School, Class of 1962 and especially through the advanced math class together year after year. She was brilliant, caring and a good friend. I reconnected with her a few years ago in Rockville MD, outside of Baltimore, and learned of her deep commitment to playing the cello for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. She wrote and performed an impressive cello piece for the orchestra, and continued to write such music, sending links to me, which I shared with our granddaughter who was studying the cello. We have lost a very special person whose dedication to music helped her overcome the deep grief of losing her husband, her life's companion.

Recent performances of 2 Cello pieces Harriet composed:

In My Mother´s Garden for string quartet
In loving memory of Rosalyn Rossoff Katz
https://youtu.be/AVdViLOoeH4

After Long Silence for mezzo, baritone and piano
(text by Yeats) https://youtu.be/DQkU6HJEiW8

Los Angeles, CA

August 27, 2022

Harriet Katz.."a force of nature"! Acknowledgement of her life and contribution beyond her first chapter... "Ladies Choice String Quartet"...the getting together a community of women that came to know one another and work together based on her "hutzpah"...and love of music!
Condolences to her family and the many friends who will miss her generous spirit!

Judy Garf

August 26, 2022

Of course we Ladies Choicers are devastated to hear this. Harriet was a huge influence in all our lives in many ways and I am left with an empty spot in my heart. She was quite a force of nature and her impact on my life will be with me always. I feel very sad and so hope her life ended peacefully.

Mary Halperin Marlowe

August 26, 2022

So very heartbreaking to hear of Harriet´s passing...way too soon..as was that of her beloved husband, Joel...so long ago. Sending condolences..strength..love..comfort..to her family..and to all who were lucky enough to know her..love her..and be loved by her. May her memory..name and music..be a blessing forever...praying for healing of so many hearts

Showing 1 - 9 of 9 results