Kathryn Ruth Halazon

Kathryn Ruth "Kay" (Disch) Halazon, 99, died peacefully on April 23, 2025, at the Good Shepherd Hospice House in Manhattan, Kansas, surrounded by her loved ones.

She was born on September 17, 1925, in Madison, Wisconsin, the youngest child of Herman M. Disch and Helen Dorothy (Alexander) Disch. She attended Madison Grade School and East High School. She started studying piano and voice along with her two sisters at the age of thirteen. They formed a trio and became very popular in the Wisconsin and the Chicago area. WIBA, a Madison Radio Station, hired them, and they became known as the WIBA Disch Trio: J, Rae and Kay. They also frequently sang for the USO during WWII.

Kay continued her musical education in Philadelphia and in 1944 began studying voice with the founder/director of the Philadelphia Opera Company. She was a gifted soprano soloist and was one of five chosen to receive a scholarship at the Opera Company. Kay was also a student at the Clark Conservatory of Music in Philadelphia and auditioned with the Metropolitan Opera Company. Upon returning to Madison in 1946, she became a soloist at various churches in the Madison Area. She also worked in the Marketing Department of the Oscar Mayer Company.

She married George C. Halazon in 1947 and began a life of travel and adventure few have ever imagined or experienced. They traveled extensively in Pakistan and experienced a Khyber Pass Rockslide. They also endured a forced landing during a snowstorm at the North Pole.

During their time in Wisconsin, they weathered a stay in a lighthouse due to a lake storm until they could travel to their rustic fisherman's cabin at the end of the Apostle Island. They Introduced capercaille and black grouse from Finland to the Wisconsin game department and hunted and camped in temperatures that ranged to twenty degrees below zero.

While they lived in the Blue Mountains of the State of Washington they owned and trained horses and mules, and Kay became a highly experienced mountain trail rider.

During their stay in Montana she continued her reputation as an accomplished equestrian rider when she became the first woman to ride in the Annual Bison Round-up in Moiese, Montana. With George, Kay hunted elk, deer, antelope, wild boar, and moose. As a result of her hunting prowess, she and George co-authored two cookbooks on wild game recipes, "Dressing and Cooking Wild Game" and "America's Wild Game Recipes."

Kay and George moved to Manhattan in 1954 when he accepted a position with Kansas State University as the Wildlife Management Specialist with the Department of Extension Services. There they graciously entertained governors, university presidents, and members of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

They lived in their home at Tuttle Creek for over fifty years until moving to Meadowlark Retirement Community in 2012. George died in 2013.

During their years together in Manhattan they took a world tour (1976). Kay created a warm and comfortable home and displayed many talents. She enjoyed sewing, needlepoint, petty point, knitting, French cooking and interior decorating. Kay was a collector of wildlife prints (Maynard Reese in particular) and had a vast collection of Native American jewelry (Zuni and Hopi). She was an avid reader of mysteries (usually 2 books a week) and routinely completed (in ink!) the Sunday New York Times and the Manhattan Mercury daily crossword puzzles.

She was a woman of faith and read daily devotionals and the Bible every day.

She always looked forward to singing in the church choir. Kay was a member of the Memorial Evangelical Reform Church in Madison Wisconsin, St Paul's Episcopal Church in Manhattan, Kansas and St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Kansas City Missouri.

She was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta, Chapter Delta Eta, social sorority and as an alumnus co-chaired the remodeling of the KSU sorority house. Kay was a long time member of the Poly Ogden Chapter of Daughter of the American Revolution (DAR) and served as Chaplin for many years. Kay was also a member of the Daughters of the King and the KSU Social Club.

Kay was always up to date on national and local politics, national economics, and current news of the day as well as the latest fashion trends. At age 99 she wanted a denim midi-dress to wear in case the occasion occurred!

Despite her diverse and busy life Kay was a devoted wife, daughter, sister, and aunt to many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her husband George, her brother Orville Disch, her sister Rae Disch Huber, her sister Joann Disch Kinsman, and five nephews. She leaves behind many beloved nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, great, great nieces and nephews and great, great, great nieces and nephews who mourn her passing.

Memorial Services will be held on Saturday September 27, 2025 at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 6401 Wornall Terrace, Kansas City, MO at 2:00 p.m.

The service will be live-streamed at https://standrewkc.org/watch/.

Memorial donations can be made to St. Andrew's Educational Fund in memory of Kathryn "Aunt Kay" Halazon.