Katherine Cast Danforth

Kate lived a life devoted to children, education, creativity, and community. She was a beloved educator, mentor, and advocate for young children and their teachers, especially in San Francisco.

Kate was born in Cleveland, Ohio to Marjorie and William Danforth, and raised in Hudson. She graduated from Laurel School in 1965 and attended Wellesley College from 1965 to 1968. She earned her B.A. from Stanford University in 1970, and completed graduate study in Creative Arts Education at San Francisco State University. Later she received her M.A. in Early Childhood Education from Mills College, where her lifelong commitment to imaginative, child-centered teaching truly took root.

For more than 30 years, Kate shaped the field of early childhood education through scholarship, advocacy, and hands-on work with children, families, and teachers. At San Francisco State University's Child Study Center, she served as Program Supervisor and Lecturer, mentoring students in observation, curriculum design, child assessment, and the art of building thoughtful learning environments. Earlier, she was Head Teacher at The Children's School at Mills College and directed the Elementary Division of the Fulbright Scholar Summer Program at SFSU.

Kate's curiosity also led her into research and professional writing, and she shared her ideas widely through conferences and workshops. In every setting, she brought rigor, playfulness, and a deep belief in children's capacity to think, create, and grow.

She will be remembered, too, for her music, wit, and whimsical spirit. Kate often met life's joys and sorrows with an improvised song, a limerick, or a clever twist on a nursery rhyme. Her notes, cards, and letters reflected the same joyful originality.

In her final years, Kate moved to Middlebury, Vermont, to be near family as she faced Parkinson's disease. She is survived by her husband, David Hammer; her siblings, Fred, Woody, and Amy; her dear friend Kerry Bostrom; and many nieces and nephews. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered for her insight, laughter, and the songs and stories she so effortlessly shared.

Dona Nobis Pacem