Catherine Hampton Ditmore PhD

Catherine Hampton Ditmore, PhD passed away peacefully on January 21, 2024, after a lifetime pursuing adventure, knowledge, and equality. Born Mary Catherine Hampton in Des Moines, IA, on September 20, 1932, Dr. Ditmore was a graduate of Roosevelt High School and Grinnell College. She also attended Hampton Institute, and went on to earn her PhD in Psychology from Harvard University in 1961.
After Grinnell, Dr. Ditmore lived most of her life in Massachusetts, mainly in Weston, Newton, Amherst, Greenfield, and most recently, Springfield. She did also return to Des Moines, Iowa for over a decade later in life to help care for her aunt. She was a dedicated and active member of several organizations including the Red Hat Society, American Civil Liberties Union, Women's International League for Peace & Freedom, Democratic National Committee, Southern Poverty Law Center, League of Women Voters, and the American Friends Service Committee Youth Group. Her lifelong dedication to social justice and in particular her active role in the early Civil Rights movement was an inspiration to all who knew her.
Dr. Ditmore attended her local Unitarian Universalist church regularly throughout her adult life and served in religious education, membership, and social justice roles. She also recognized her duty as a custodian of the earth, and made many charitable contributions benefitting animals, preservation of the natural world, and in particular the World Wildlife Fund. She instilled in her descendants these core beliefs, and raised all three of her children to become activists themselves.
Dr. Ditmore is survived by her older brother William Hampton & his wife Marie Gene Hampton; sister-in-law Janice K Hampton; sons Stephen Hampton Ditmore and Alan Douglas Ditmore; daughter Diana Eugenia Ditmore-Gobeil & her husband Richard Alan Ditmore-Gobeil; grandchildren Kathryn Elizabeth Pickett, Leah Rose Ditmore, Miranda Jane Ditmore, Zachariah Boaz Thatcher; step-grandchildren Cailyn Marie Gobeil, Sophia Grace Gobeil, Matthew Alexander Gobeil; family members Virginia A Pickett and Denise Howard-Corrin; and her loving Shetland sheepdog Bonnie. She was predeceased by her parents Wallace Bennett Hampton & Mary Catherine (Hardin) Hampton; beloved aunt Eugenia Hampton; younger brother Kendall Bennett Hampton; and former husband Dan Alan Ditmore, MD.
Dr. Ditmore's life was a testament to the power of dedicated service, boundless curiosity, and a heartfelt commitment to the wellbeing of others – both people and animals, as well as the natural world. She leaves behind a legacy of courage, wisdom, and inspiration that will continue to enlighten the lives of all who knew her. We encourage those who knew her to share their memories and upload photos to her memorial page.
Memorial service to be held at 10:00 AM on April 20th, 2024 at All Souls in Greenfield, MA, followed by interment at First Parish in Weston, MA.